A New World
by Maeos1
Summary: Charlie comes back from Romania to spend time with his family after the war. He didn't expect to get drunk and sleep with Hermione Granger. He also didn't expect to be giving his mum her first grandchild.
1. Kumquat Week 10

**Author's Note: Hi guys! My name is Marissa and I currently do not have a beta. So, if you happen to find any mistakes that would be why. Feel free to tell me if I've made any in a review.**

 **Pairing: Charlie/Hermione**

 **Setting: post war. Two weeks after the war ends.**

 **Other info: The war has just ended. There is no implied Ron/Hermione. I only brought back one character, I brought back Fred. Just couldn't kill him off. Charlie is 26 and Hermione is 18. Rated M.**

 **Summary- Charlie comes back from Romania to spend time with his family after the war. He doesn't expect to sleep with Hermione Granger. He also doesn't expect to be giving his mum her first grandchild.**

 **The Burrow. May 16** **th** **.**

* * *

I walked into the kitchen for a glass of water. I levitated a glass down and filled it with water. I was soaking wet and shaking. I had just had a nightmare about Bellatrix LeStrange. I dreamt of the torture she put me through, the unbelievable pain that the Cruciatus Curse brings. I shivered at the thought of the memory.

I put my glass down and decided that I needed something stronger than water. I rummaged around for the fire whiskey when I heard a sleep filled voice come from the kitchen doorway.

"Couldn't sleep either?"

I whipped around with my wand in my hand and aimed it at the voice. After months on the run and a big battle in the end, I was still a bit jumpy. My eyes finally focused on the figure standing in front of me. He had a surprised look on his face and his arms raised in mock surrender. I slowly lowered my wand and regained me senses enough to remember he asked me a question.

"Uh, no. Nightmares. You?" I muttered out.

"Something like that." He grumbled out. He walked over to the table and conjured up a glass for himself. "Nothing a little fire whiskey can't fix."

I grabbed the glass and headed over to the chair. I sat down and felt the cool surface of the wood on my bare thighs. I looked down and realized I'm only wearing a camisole and a _very_ short yoga shorts. I quickly brought my attention back to the alcohol sitting on the table between us. I grabbed the bottle and poured a generous amount in mine and quickly downed it in one swift movement.

"That bad?" He asked with a raised brow.

"Getting tortured by a sociopath with a wand and dark magic can do that." I replied with dry humor. "Why do you need to drink at 1:30 in the morning?"

He snorted and poured himself a glass of the potent liquid. He gulped it down and poured another one. He sipped it this time and put it down. "I can't sleep with the overwhelming guilt I have for not being here for my family. I was off in Romania doing a job. I should have been here with my family. I missed half the battle. I wasn't even here when Fred almost died, or when George lost his ear." He said bitterly. "I haven't been back for longer than a week in eight years. I missed half of Gin's childhood. Hell, I missed almost half of Ron's as well."

I looked at him until he looked up from his glass. "You did what you had to Charlie. You stayed in Romania because the Order _needed_ you too. Yeah, it sucks that you didn't get to come home very much, but you _did_ help the cause." I explained. "And I'm sorry you missed out on two of your younger siblings lives. I know that they adore and love you though. I think you turned out to be a great big brother."

Charlie stared at me with wide eyes before he nodded in thanks. He downed the rest of his alcohol and poured another glass. I poured another glass and emptied it in seconds. We continued the process of small talk and consuming alcohol. In an hour, we had each consumed seven glasses of the whiskey each and were feeling the effects of drunkenness.

We had placed a silencing spell around the kitchen earlier when we began to become louder. We were currently testing how drunk we were. I was attempting to walk in a straight line. I was failing miserable. Charlie stood in front of me laughing his arse off when I swayed too much on one side and nearly fell. I gave him my best glare and continued on.

I made it all the way to him when I finally lost my balance and began to fall with flailing arms. I felt buff arms wrap around my middle and haul me up on my feet again. I looked up and saw light blue eyes staring back at me. Charlie had the lightest blue eyes of the bunch and lots of freckles. He had shorter hair with slight waves in the middle. The sides were shorter in a military fashion and the top was slightly longer.

I looked up to his lips and unconscientiously licked mine. Charlie may be a bit shorter than the rest of the Weasley boys, but he was a good nine inches taller than my five foot two frame. Unlike the lanky Weasley's, Charlie had muscle from his strenuous job. Bill, Ron, and Percy were the lankiest. The twins had some build, but not as much as Charlie.

My eyes flickered back to his and our heads came closer together. Our noses touched and brushed against each other, and our lips met in a slow, drunken kiss. The kiss slowly deepened and he wrapped a hand on a very low part of my back and his other hand tangled in my hair. I snaked my arms up is torso and fisted his shirt in my hands. I leaned in and hummed in pleasure as he nibbled my lower lip.

I granted him entrance and battled his tongue for power. His hand that had previously been in my hair worked its way down my back and onto my arse. He gave a light squeeze and lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around his torso tightly. He released my mouth and kissed my neck. I gave a light moan as he sucked my pulse point. I wound my hands into his hair and gave another light moan as he pepper kissed me down to my collarbone.

"Bedroom?" He slurred between kisses.

"Yes." Was my slightly more slurred reply.

He gripped my bottom tighter and continued kissing me as he began moving up the stairs. My room was on the first floor and he was moving fast. I got Percy's old room when he left for the Ministry. The war was over and he still hadn't come back yet. Charlie opened the door and closed it. He turned and locked it before walking to the bed.

He set me down gently on the bed and continued kissing my neck and jaw. He slowly climbed on top of me and I spread my legs so he could get closer to me. He kissed me again and his hand slowly inched my camisole up. I reached down and pulled it up and over my head. I laid back into the bed and bit my lip nervously.

He stared down at me with wonder in his eyes. This had been the farthest I had ever gone with someone before. He took in every inch of my bare chest before looking into my eyes again.

"You're beautiful." He whispered.

I blushed and reached up and grabbed his head to kiss me. He kissed me slowly and firmly. His hand slowly made its way to my left breast and began playing with my erect nipple. I moaned into his mouth as his thumb and middle finger squeezed. I reached between us and tugged on his thin shirt. He sat up a bit and let me take it off and toss it to the floor.

My eyes roamed over the plains of his chest and abdomen. He was toned from years of working with dragons and playing quidditch. My hands traced the scar that ran from the left side of his ribs to his belly button. He shivered and leaned down to kiss my pulse point again.

His hands traveled down to my jutting hipbones and back up to my breasts. He trailed his kisses down my neck and into the valley between my breasts. He took my left nipple into my mouth and attended to my other. He suckled and flicked it with his tongue. I moaned and squirmed and he swirled my nipple in his mouth. His hands traveled back down to my hips.

His thumbs played with the stretch material of my yoga shorts. He lifted his head up to meet my gaze. I nodded and pushed my hips into his hand. He slowly removed my shorts and panties. He tossed them onto the floor and continued to kiss me. He played with my bottom lip and sucked on it until I was thoroughly kissed. My hands timidly reached for his boxers that were sporting a tent shape in the front. He took my hands and placed them above my head. I looked at him in confusion.

"I want you to at least get off once. Can I assume correctly this is your first time?" He asked with a slight slur still present.

"Yes." I admit.

He gave me a reassuring grin and kissed me. His hand trailed down to my hip and rubbed calming circles. His hand moved lower and touched my clit. I moaned at the searing pleasure. He began rubbing circles and applying pressure. I felt a coil in the pit of my abdomen begin to tighten. His circling became faster and he slowly added a finger inside of me. He worked me up and added another. His rubbing began to uncoil the pressure in my lower abdomen. I felt a bolt of pure pleasure course through my body.

My abdomen clenched, I closed my eyes and began shaking slightly, and I gave a breathy moan. I slowly came down from my orgasm to see Charlie smirking at me. I looked up at him and focused my eyes.

"I need you. I need you inside of me _now._ " I moaned.

My hands reached down again and slipped his boxers off without problem. I tossed them over the bed and laid back. He leaned down and was just a hair away from kissing me.

"It's going to be a bit painful at first. But I'm gonna try my hardest to make it good for you." He whispered.

He kissed me lightly and adjusted my legs to wrap around him. He lowered his member to my entrance and moved it up and down my slit. I moaned when he hit the top. He centered himself at my opening and got the tip in when he pause. He kissed my neck and quickly pushed himself inside of me.

He was right. It did hurt. It hurt like a bitch. I felt my hymen tear and begin to bleed. I blinked back the tears and focused on him kissing my neck. He pulled back and looked at me in concern.

"I'm fine. I just need a moment." I explained. I sat there adjusting to his seven inches. The pain ebbed away and began to ease. I soon got comfortable enough to tell him to continue.

He began moving slowly in and out of my tight walls. He sped up and released a groan. It was soon becoming less painful for me. It still wasn't anything like the first time, but all right nonetheless. He sped up again and rubbed circles into my clit. I moaned and arched my back. I grabbed his shoulders and sunk back down. His pace was becoming scattered and no longer had a rhythm. He applied more pressure to my clit and I went over the edge. He slammed into me once more and spilled his seed inside me.

We both moaned and relaxed. He collapsed next to me and grabbed my hand. He looked at me and winked. I laughed and winked back. We laid there for a few minutes before closing our eyes and drifting off to a blissfully dreamless sleep.

* * *

 **May 16** **th** **. 10:30 a.m.**

I woke up with a splitting headache. I grumbled into my pillow and reached for the blankets. I pulled them up when I felt a breeze chill me. I snapped open my eyes when I felt an arm tighten around me. I slowly looked behind me and saw ginger hair and lots of freckles inches from my face. I saw Charlie's bare chest and began to panic.

I looked down and beneath the blankets and saw my naked form. Not good. I sat up and took the blankets with me to cover my bare chest. The covers dipped and draped lower on his hips. I stared at him in complete shock. I just shagged Charlie freaking Weasley.

I eventually reached over and shook his shoulder. His eyes snapped open and he sat up quickly. He grimaced and put a hand to his head. The cover slipped to expose his morning wood and I averted my eyes.

"We did something stupid last night." I whispered.

"Looks that way."

"What do we do?"

"What do you want to do?" He asked and looked at me.

"I don't know. It was a mistake. We were drunk and we didn't know what we were doing."

"Agreed. So, forget it happened?" He asked.

"Uh, yeah. It won't be weird or awkward right?"

"We'll try. You seem like a good person. I would love to get to know you as a friend." He suggested.

I nodded my head in agreement and looked to my floor to find my clothes. I found my shorts and slipped them on. I found my shirt by my door and stood up. I didn't bother to hide my chest. I figured he already saw them, didn't make much of a difference if he saw them now. I slipped on my camisole and turned back to the bed.

"Uh, I'm going down for breakfast. See you later?" I asked and saw him nod.

I exited the room and closed the door. I walked down the flight of stairs and into the kitchen for breakfast. I was hoping it wouldn't be too awkward in the weeks to come.

* * *

 **July 31** **st** **. The Burrow.**

I puked into the toilet once more before I flushed. I had been sick for a couple weeks now. I had noticed the bloating on my thin frame, I was tender, and the thought of some foods beside toast sent me to the bathroom. I stood up and washed my hands. It was weird. No one else seemed to be getting sick. It was only me.

I should be getting my results back from St. Mungo today. I had applied for a position there a week ago. They had run ordinary tests to see if I was healthy and not illegally taking any drugs. I applied there after getting my NEWT scores back. I had gotten on of the highest scores in a century. I decided on healing after seeing all the people left devastated from the war.

I walked out of the bathroom and back down stairs. I had been in the middle of eating my eggs and toast when some grabbed the bacon. The smell of grease made me apparate upstairs to the bathroom.

I walked in and sat back down. I picked up the paper and began eating like nothing happened. I finished my toast and eggs and continued reading the paper. I finished the article I was on and got up to rinse my plate. I finished and walked to the window when I saw the Ministry owl approach the window. I opened it and the let the owl in. I untied the parchment and began to read.

 _ **Subject: Hermione J. Granger**_

 _ **Gender: Female**_

 _ **Height: 5'2"**_

 _ **Weight: 108 pounds**_

 _ **STD's: negative**_

 _ **STI's: negative**_

 _ **Pregnant: positive**_

 _ **Illegal substances: negative**_

 _ **Additional notes: Ms. Granger is advised to gain weight to support the pregnancy and over all health of herself and the fetus. Ms. Granger is already underweight to begin with, and has gained only an estimated amount of eight pounds since conceiving said fetus. The patient is suspected to be around ten weeks along. Best of luck to you.**_

I stared in shock at the paper in front of me. My mouth gaped open and my eyes were wide. I couldn't believe what I was reading. It made sense though. It explained the tender breasts, the bloating, my missed periods, and the 'morning' sickness. It still came as a shock to me.

The paper got snatched out of my hands and I whipped around to see Ginny laughing and smiling at me. Crap.

"Ginny! Give that back!" I said frantically.

"It's just a love note. Let's see what it says shall we?" She began reading to everyone that was now paying attention.

I crossed the room and tried to get it back. She was faster and stronger than me. Not to mention taller.

"Is this your test results for the hospital? They asked if you had STD's or STI's? Wow. Personal." She laughed. "At least you don't have any." She joked while dodging me. She stopped abruptly. Shite. Not good. Not good at all. "Oh my god! You're pregnant?" She asked looking at me.

Everyone had various reactions. Molly looked down right horrified. Bill and Fleur were siting next to each other silently laughing, Harry had his tie in his syrup, Fred and George were looking at each others as if Christmas came early, Arthur looked confused and a little happy, Ron looked betrayed and hurt, and Charlie, oh Charlie, he had turned as white as a ghost and was gaping at me.

They all stared at me. I turned red from embarrassment and tried to say something. My mouth could only form small stutters and whimpers. Wonderful.

"You're what!" Molly hissed.

"Uh, I'm pregnant."

"Out of wedlock! What were you thinking?" She shouted.

"I wasn't really thinking. We were drunk and forgot the protection charms." I said wringing my hands.

"How far are you?" She asked with an eerie calmness.

"The results say about ten weeks. I didn't even know until I got them back." I informed her. "I just thought I had a stomach bug or something. I noticed a bit of weight gain but I thought it was just from eating more."

Molly closed her eyes in frustration. "Can I guess correctly that one of my boys is responsible for this, _predicament?_ "

My eyes darted to Charlie to gauge his reaction. He had his eyes closed and head hung. Bill was looking at him with a smile and realization. Charlie pushed his chair out loudly to gain everyone's attention.

"Uh, that would be me mum." He muttered.

"Charles Weasley! I would have expected this sort of behavior from Ronald! You are nearly ten years older than her! I expected my first grandchild to be from a _married couple."_ She ranted. "You two barely know each other for Merlin's sake. You're here for what, three days? Three days before you decide to have _sex_ with someone? If you had just settled down this wouldn't have happened!"

The room got quiet when she finished. I looked over at the table and caught Harry's gaze. He looked surprised and confused. He knew that I knew Ron was waiting for me. He knew Ron loved me. He thought Ron and me would eventually become a couple and get married and have kids. Well, the child part was true. Just not with Ron apparently.

I looked over at Ron and saw the anger building. His face was turning purple from keeping it in. He pushed his chair out and it fell on the ground from the force. Not good.

"How could you Hermione? You knew I loved you! I was waiting for you to heal!" He screamed at me. I took a step back.

He turned to Charlie next? "You're my brother! How could you do this to me? You should have known that she was mine! You had to have known that we loved each other!" He screamed and lunged at Charlie.

He punched a surprised Charlie square in the eye. Charlie lurched to the side from the impact. He recovered fairly quickly and ducked Ron's next punch. He stood up straight and smashed his fist into Ron's ribs. Ron reeled back from the force and clutched his ribs. He stared at Charlie and charged forward. At this point, Bill rushed over to the fight to restrain Charlie while Harry ran to Ron.

Ginny, Molly, and I were all screaming at them to stop. Arthur had his head in his hand while still sitting at the messy table. Bill stood behind Charlie grasping his arms. Charlie was struggling against Bill and broke free right before Ron stomped on Harry's foot to be released. Charlie got there first and hit Ron on his cheek at the same time Ron punched Charlie's mouth. They both stepped back to wipe the blood from their fresh wounds.

Bill recaptured Charlie with the twins this time. Charlie had proven to be too strong for Bill alone. Harry wrapped his arms around Ron while dodging various foot stomping's. Ron and Charlie were yelling profanities at each other while wiggling to get free.

Molly pointed her wand at Ron and cast a calming charm on him. He instantly relaxed and lost some of the redness. She did the same for Charlie. Soon, everyone was at a calmer level than before.

"I want everyone one to listen carefully to what I'm about to say." Molly spoke forcefully. "This is a _family._ We do _not_ beat each other up when we have a tiff." She said looking at Charlie and Ron. "Now, there will be some changes to come. Hermione and Charlie are going to be having a baby. _Every single person_ in this family will love that baby. We will care for that baby; we will help Hermione and Charlie out with this baby. We will be there for them and the baby." She said looking at every single person in the room. "Right now we have to schedule and appointment at the hospital to check up on the baby. _Everyone_ will go. _No_ exceptions." She said looking at Ron. "Now clean this mess up, and clean your faces up as well." She said adding the last part to Charlie and Ron. She turned to me. "Come on dear, we have an appointment to make." She turned back to everyone else. "Be ready in ten minutes."

I followed Molly out of the kitchen and into the living room. She knelt down by the fireplace and threw floo powder in. She mumbled out 'Healer Rudnikov's office' and the green flames burned higher. A minute later, a pretty, feminine face appeared.

"Ah, Molly. What can I do for you?" The healer asked with a slight Russian accent.

"I need to make an appointment with you. I'm in need for an O.B."

"Ginny's pregnant?" The woman asked.

"No, no. My adoptive daughter is pregnant. Charlie is the father." Molly clarified.

"Ah, yes, Charlie. Always did have a certain charm about him." She mused. "I'm open in fifteen minutes. Is that a good time for you?"

"Yes. That'll work out just fine. Thank you again Alina."

"It is my pleasure." Alina said and whooshed away.

Molly stood up and turned to me. "Alina was my O.B when I was pregnant with Percy, the twins, Ron, and Ginny." She explained. "She's an old family friend, and a very good OB. She'll take good care of you and the baby. We're just going in for a check up. You'll see the baby, and hear the heart beat. You won't know the sex until your sixteenth week. I know in the muggle world that it's a few weeks later."

"Thank you Molly." I said. "I know this is a bit of a shock for all of us, but I'm glad that I have you for this. I'm so glad that I could have this family here for all of this."

My parents were currently still in Australia. I had cast an obliviate charm on their minds before Bill and Fleur's wedding. I sent them off to Australia thinking that they were Monica and Wendell Wilkins. I had tried reversing the charm with no luck. Professor Flitwick told me later that I could not reverse a charm like that after six months. I left them in Australia and returned back to the Burrow. I haven't seen them since.

"I know it's hard dearie. But we will _always_ be here for you. I may not like that my son got you pregnant out of wedlock, but a grandchild is a grandchild." She said hugging me. I hugged her back and thanked her.

I pulled away and sat down in the chair to my right. I sat there trying to understand how I went ten weeks without noticing I was pregnant. I even had a small rounded bump where my fetus is. My breasts were bigger and sore, my feet swelling, the morning sickness, and the missed periods. I had chalked up the small bump to gaining weight from eating regularly. The bigger and sore breasts were what I thought were growing pains. As for the missed periods, I had first though it was stress from the war. Then I ignored the second missed period as my still being irregular. I really had no idea.

"Would you lot hurry up! The appointment is in ten minutes! We still have paperwork to do!" Molly shouted up the stairs.

A moment later came the thumping of footsteps. Ginny raced into the living room slightly out of breath. She perched herself on the arm of my chair. The twins came racing in next. They were bickering and flicking each other. It's hard to believe they're grown-ups sometimes. Charlie walked in next. He looked at me funny and sat down across from me. Bill and Fleur came in holding hands and chatting. Arthur walked in from the kitchen having not left to begin with. Harry and Ron were the last one's in. Harry was practically dragging a sullen Ron with him.

Molly gave instructions out and made us buddy up. Charlie walked over to me and bent close to my ear. I shivered when I felt his breath on me.

"I think we need to talk after all this is done." I nodded in agreement and stood stock still until he backed away a bit.

"Alright you lot, listen up. We're flooing in partners to go faster. Ginny you'll have to go by yourself. Once you get there, go directly to the waiting are and wait for the rest of us." She concluded

She grabbed some powder and stepped in with Arthur. I was a tight fit, but he stood behind her and called out the destination as she threw the powder down. They whirled away and the twins stepped up. Fred grabbed the powder and linked arms with George. They shouted at the same time "St. Mungo's!' Charlie grabbed my hand and led me to the fireplace. He reached up and grabbed a handful of powder. He stepped in the back and I stepped in front of him. He wrapped the unoccupied hand around my abdomen protectively. He threw the powder down and called out our destination.

He quickly wrapped his now free hand around my abdomen as well. I leaned back a bit as we swirled away from the Burrow. I figured he was just making sure the baby would be ok on the journey to the hospital. I felt the familiar sensation of traveling by floo. I felt squished and nauseous the whole way there. We landed hard at the hospital fireplace. I stepped out shakily and waited for Charlie.

He came up behind me and wrapped an arm around my waist to help me regain my balance. We started walking to the waiting area to wait for the rest. Molly was sitting down filling out the paper work while waiting for us. She looked up at us as we walked over. Her eyes flickered to Charlie's hand around my waist and her brow raised a fraction of an inch. She looked back down to her paper work instead of saying anything.

I sat down across from her and Arthur, but next to George. Charlie sat next to me and we waited for the rest. Bill and Fleur walked in a minute later and Bill sat next to Charlie while Fleur sat next to Molly. Bill began a quiet conversation with Charlie as we waited. I couldn't quite hear what they were talking about, but I heard the phrase "I didn't even know you two had done it.' Before I stopped trying to listen.

Ginny came huffing in with her hands on her hips. "He is acting like such a prat!" Is all she said while throwing herself into a chair next to Bill. He laughed at her annoyance and patted her knee. He leaned back and began teasing his only sister.

Harry and Ron came in last. Harry was standing behind Ron and pushing him to keep him walking. He plopped Ron down next to him. Molly eventually finished the paper work and got up to give it back to the nurse. We all waited in an awkward silence for her to come back. Ginny leaned forward from her chair and got my attention.

"Did the note say what day you start working here?"

"Uh, I hadn't actually gotten that far." I answered. "But Susan Bones got her letter yesterday and sent an owl saying she stars in two weeks. I'm assuming that most of us will start around then as well."

Ginny nodded and leaned back. Molly return and had just sat down when a nurse came into the waiting room and called for 'Hermione J. Granger?' We all got up and followed the frazzled nurse. We walked down the hallway and into room 11. There was an exam table and five chairs. Molly, Arthur, Bill, Fleur, and Ginny grabbed the open chairs. I walked over to the table and hopped up. Charlie walked next to me and waited for the O.B to enter. The woman from earlier entered and greeted Molly.

"Hello Molly. It's good to see you again." The woman said shaking hands with Molly and Arthur.

The woman turned to me next and smiled. "And you must be the patient. A war hero no less." She said and I blushed. "Hello Charles. I always figured you would be the first Weasley child to become a father." I heard him mumble under his breath 'Would have been nice to know that before hand.'

She walked over to the counter and put on rubber gloves. She snapped the second one on and turned to face me. She pulled her wand out of her pocket and held it in her hands. I tensed when I saw her pull it out. "Alright, I'm going to have you lie back and lift your shirt up to the top of your abdomen." She said as she walked to the bed.

I laid back and rolled my shirt up. You could see the beginning of a baby bump beginning to form. She pointed her wand and my small bump and muttered a charm. The lights dimmed and a fuzzy picture was projected above my abdomen. She muttered something again and the picture cleared up. My baby was about the size of a kumquat. She moved her wand around to get better angles.

"Alright. Your baby seems to be developing very well. Still too early to tell gender. But I can let you hear the heart beat."

The room was soon filled with the _whoosh, whoosh, whoosh_ , of the baby's heartbeat. I gasped when I first heard it. I felt that Charlie had grabbed my hand as soon as he heard it. I squeezed it and went back to watching our baby. Molly and Ginny began crying a bit.

"I'm going to be an auntie!" Ginny cried.

I laughed and looked up at Charlie. He had misty eyes and a big smile on his face. He looked happy, relieved, and proud. I knew right then that my baby would have a good father. I looked around the room and knew that this family would love the baby. I knew everything was going to be all right. For the first time in months, I was ecstatic.

* * *

 **Author's note 2- Thank you so much for reading! I currently am writing another fiction for Harry Potter. It's a Fred/Hermione fiction. I started that one first, so it is my number one priority. I will try to update this one as often as I can. That should be fairly often considering I am on summer vacation. Whoop whoop!**

 **Author's not 3- don't forget to review! Review's make my day and inspire me. Also, feel free to leave a review on gender. I have an idea of what I want the gender to be, but I am always open to opinions! Have a great day!**


	2. Fig Week 11

**Author's Note: I would just like to give StubbyBoardman13 a big thank you! They pointed out a flaw in my first chapter. I hadn't known that. My first was terrible. It hurt and I hated it. Thank you so much for telling me it's not supposed to be like that! I really don't want to give someone younger that impression. Any other fics I write that have a scene like that, I will defiantly keep your info in mind. Thanks again!**

 **Without further ado…**

* * *

 **Wednesday. 11 weeks. Fig.**

I made my way up the stairs to meet Ginny. She had told me she needed my opinion on something really important. I trudged up the last couple of steps and onto the landing. I made my way past Charlie's room and into Ginny's. She was sitting on her bed looking at her hands. I sat down in the sagging armchair that was across from her.

"Alright Gin, I just had to huff and puff my way up these stairs one more time than I wanted to today. What seems to be the problem?" I said with a joke that got no reaction.

Ginny looked up with glass eyes and took a shaky breath. She quickly looked back down and started to quietly cry. I stood up and sat down next to her. I wrapped my arms around her and let her cry. After a few minutes of her crying, she began to slow down and take bigger breaths.

"What's the matter Gin?" I murmured.

"I don't think I can do it anymore." She whispered.

"Do what?" I said while my heart raced.

"Be with him."

"With Harry?" I said confused. "Why not? I thought things were going great with each other? Harry loves you."

"I don't think I love him anymore. No, I _know_ I don't love him anymore."

"What the hell happened? You were head over heels eleven weeks ago when you got back together."

She stood up and paced while pulling her ginger locks from her face. "I don't know! I-I don't get that _feeling_ someone gets when they see that one person. I don't get the butterflies I used to get when he kisses me. Don't get me wrong, I love Harry, I'm just not _in love_ with him."

"Like how I feel about Ron? You love him, but it doesn't surpass anything but sibling love?"

Ginny stopped pacing and nodded her head. Fresh tears streamed down her face when she admitted it. I got up and walked over to her. I gathered her in my arms and kept her in a tight hug. My hand smoothed down her hair while my other hand rubbed circles into her back.

"You have to tell him Gin. It isn't fair for him. I think you should do it after dinner." I said into her hair.

She sighs and agrees. We pulled apart and I left so she could compose herself. I walked back down the hallway and stopped at Charlie's door. We had been getting on very well lately. We had been trying to get to know each other better. We wanted to be at least friends by the time the baby comes. I raised my hand and knocked on his door. I heard his muffled 'it's open' and turned the knob.

I walked in and saw him sitting on his bed reading. I walked over to the bed and collapsed ungracefully onto it. I looked up from my spot next to him to find him looking at me with amusement and a tinge of concern.

"I know our baby is the size of a fig, but I don't think you should be jostling him around too much."

" _She_ will be perfectly fine. She has the amniotic sac, placenta, my uterine wall, _and_ my fat protecting her." I said while rubbing my smallish swell.

Charlie rolled his eyes and shifted onto his side to face me. I laid there rubbing my tummy while looking up at the ceiling. I had the conversation with Ginny still fresh in my memory. I felt Charlie lay his hand on my abdomen and rub circles with his thumb.

"What's wrong? You seem concerned."

I rolled onto my side to face him. "Just a conversation I had with Ginny a few minutes ago. I'm just thinking is all."

"Can you tell me what seems to be bothering you about the conversation?" He asked. "Ginny usually doesn't have any big problems that make her really upset. So whatever it is, it made her upset enough to transfer to you. And being stressed and upset is probably not good for the baby." He said with a smile at the end.

I bit my lip and closed my eyes. I reopened them and looked in his eyes. "Fine. But you have to swear not to tell anyone."

"Pinky promise." He said while extending the hand not still on my bump. He curled his other fingers down except his pinky.

I snorted and rolled my eyes. Nonetheless, I hooked my pinky with his and shook it like a handshake. He released after a moment and placed his one free hand onto my bump as well.

"Ginny doesn't love Harry. Well, not like that kind of love."

Charlie blinked once, twice, and laughed. I sat up and gaped at him. I thought he would be sensitive towards his sister and her crisis. He continued to laugh but sat up. He saw my look and calmed down fairly quickly. I still got it. He cleared his throat and looked at me.

"I'm laughing because I thought you already knew."

My eyes went even wider and I tried to make words form, but nothing happened. Eventually, I got it. "How could I have known! They _are_ in a romantic relationship."

"Yeah, but you're observant. If you weren't, I'm pretty sure you would have died your first year at Hogwarts from all the ridiculous things you lot got into." He said. He continued when he saw my still confused face. "Ginny has been shying away from Harry for the last four or so weeks. Turning her head when Harry goes to kiss her. Pulling her hand out of his grasp when he holds it with lame excuses. Small things like that."

I sit there and just stare at him. I finally collect myself enough to process thoughts. "How long have you known?"

"Well, I've known for sure for about four or five weeks. But, I've _known_ for a lot longer than that. Gin is my sister. I can read her pretty good."

"Does anyone else know or suspect?"

"Bill has an inkling of an idea of this. I haven't told anyone. Fred and George could guess if they looked hard enough. And Ron, well, you know how dense and unaware he can be."

I flopped back onto the mattress to process all of this information. I felt Charlie lay back onto the mattress. I was having trouble understanding how I couldn't have seen this earlier. I usually see these kinds of things from a mile away. The past week for me has consisted of reading pregnancy books and getting to know Charlie. Before, it was studying for a healer position. I was miles deep in thought when I felt myself begin to relax again. I pulled myself from my thoughts to realize Charlie was rubbing circles into my bump and playing with my hair.

"You good?" He asked me.

"Yeah, I just, can't believe I hadn't seen this coming."

"Hey, you've had a lot to think about recently. No one is blaming you."

I look into his eyes and can't help but smile. I get a small tingling sensation in my stomach and I blink and look down thinking the baby was shifting. I ran my hand down and met Charlie's bigger one's. I grab one and look back up at him. He smiles and pulls me in closer to him. I grab his shirt and whisper 'thank you' while closing my eyes.

* * *

"C'mon you two, time to get up. Dinner is almost done." I heard a faint voice from somewhere in front of me.

I made incoherent noises and buried myself into the pillow. My eyes snapped open when I felt a hand splayed on my bump move. I looked behind me and saw that it was just Charlie. I shifted and sat up a bit. I pushed his shoulder with my hand to wake him.

"Charlie, we gotta get up. Dinner is ready."

He shifted and opened his eyes groggily. He looked at me and began to wake up quicker. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. I swung my legs over the bed and landed on the floor. I stood up and stretched. I placed a hand on my bump and looked to find who woke us up. I saw Bill standing by the door and smirking at me. He waggled his eyebrows up and down.

I rolled my eyes and punched him in the arm as I walked passed him to go out the door. I descended down the flight of stairs and into the kitchen. I saw the entire table glance up at me while I rubbed one eye to get it to focus. I stopped as they stared at me. I continued forward slowly and plopped myself into a seat next to Harry. I leaned in closer to him.

"Why are they staring at me like I just did something dumb enough to get me into the Daily Prophet?"

"Fred went upstairs to get something from his old room when he saw you and Charlie 'canoodling while in bed.' Harry said with air quotations. He then raced back down and told everyone."

I looked over to where Fred and George were sitting and glared at Fred. He had the decency to look somewhat ashamed. I looked back to the stairs when I heard footsteps trudging down. I saw Charlie, Ginny, and Bill come into view. They each picked a seat. Ginny sat on the other side of Harry reluctantly, while Bill and Charlie sat across from me.

Molly walked in with the food levitating behind her. She sat down and the food was spaced evenly. She looked at all of us and smiled.

"Dig in!"

We all went into a frenzy trying to get the best food before someone ate it all. I piled my plate high with all of my favourites. I ate all of my food and was ready for dessert. Molly levitated a cake, two pies, and cookies onto the table. I grabbed a slice of raspberry pie and grabbed a cookie.

By the time we all finished, we were stuffed. I looked over at Ginny and nodded my head. She looked at me with slight panic but nodded anyways. She leaned into Harry and whispered something in his ear. They stood up and Harry grabbed her hand. They walked past the table and to the door that led to the lake. I saw them slowly disappear. I looked up when I heard someone begin to talk.

"I was thinking that we should have a day at the lake tomorrow. Go swimming, play in the sand, maybe play a game of Quidditch." Bill suggested.

I heard the general enthusiasm and consent to the idea. I smiled and agreed when some of them looked at me. I whipped my head to the door when I heard the crack of someone disapparating. No one was really paying attention. They were all planning the day they were going to have tomorrow.

I got up quietly and made my way to the door. I opened it and pulled my wand out of my pocket. I jumped when I heard the porch creak. I swung around and found Charlie standing behind me. He put his hands up in mock surrender. I tilted my head to where I though Ginny would be. He nodded and put his hands down. I turned around again and began forward.

I muttered 'lumos' when I knew we were out of sight from the house window. We walked about fifty meters before we found her. She was pressed up against a tree with her hands over her face and shoulder shaking. I jogged over and patted her back. Charlie came up from behind me and pulled her into one of his big bear hugs. She wrapped her arms around him and sobbed into his shoulder.

I decided that Charlie knew what he was doing and that I was going to go find Harry. I mouthed what I was doing to Charlie and he nodded his head. I prepared myself to apparate. I read somewhere that it was ok to do during the first trimester. I turned and felt myself being sucked and pulled all the way to the destination I had in mind.

I landed and stumbled a bit. I had never really liked apparating to begin with. I looked around at all the head tombs and made my way to where I hoped Harry was. I weaved around a large and tall one when I found Harry sitting down next to a head stone. He had his arms wrapped around his knees and was leaning against the stone.

I made my way over and slowly sat down next to him. I looked at his face and found his eyes. They looked empty and hallow. I wrapped an arm around him and rested my head on his shoulder. We stayed like this for what I could only assume were hours. He slowly turned his head toward mine and sighed.

"I thought she loved me."

I grabbed his chin and made him look me in the eyes. "Harry James Potter, she _does_ love you. But she just isn't _in love_ with you. I don't know what happened along the way, but feelings change. It happens whether we want them to or not. Chemicals change. _People_ change. I think anyone who could call you their husband will be damn lucky. You _will_ find someone who loves you just as much as you love them. It just isn't Ginny."

He sighed and nodded his head. He looked down and saw my bump poking out from my t-shirt. He brought a hand to rest on the bump. He sighed and closed his eyes. I could tell he was thinking about the kids he thought he would be having with Ginny. I was about to say something when he opened his eyes again.

"I'm going to be an uncle." He whispered.

I laughed and agreed. He sighed again and slowly stood up. He held a hand out to me. I grabbed it and he hauled me up with ease. I stretched my now achy back. I grabbed his hand again and got the Burrow's garden in my mind. I turned and we disappeared. We landed with a thud and a bit of a stumble on my part. Harry righted me and turned to face me.

"Thanks Mione. Let's get inside before anyone notices how long we were gone." He said with a sad smile on his face.

We walked the last couple of meters to the now dark Burrow. I opened the door and walked in. I stopped at the base of the stairs and gave Harry a bone-crushing hug. He hugged back with just as much ferocity. I let go and smiled up at him. I turned and walked up the flight of stairs.

I stopped at Charlie's room and saw Harry raise a brow. I rolled my eyes at him and stuck my tongue out. He gave a small laugh and continued up the stairs. I knocked and waited for the 'come in.' I entered when I heard it. I walked over to the bed and sat cris-cross-applesauce.

"How is Gin?"

"Better. Still really heart broken, but ok." He said. "How's Harry?"

I thought for a minute. "Empty. He really thought they would get married and have a gaggle of kids. You should have seen the hurt in his eyes."

Charlie sighed and rubbed his eyes. I left soon after and went to my own bedroom. I collapsed onto my bed and thought about everything that happened today. I rubbed a hand on my bump and turned on my side. I slowly fell asleep. Dreams were surprisingly absent.

* * *

 **Thursday. 11 weeks. Fig.**

I sat on Ginny's bed as she bumbled around her dresser. She was wearing a tank top and shorts over her black bikini. I needed a bathing suit. I had discovered that mine didn't fit. I could have placed an enlarging charm on it, but I wanted to see how Ginny was doing. She was keeping busy to keep her mind off it.

She tossed me a bikini that was black with white lining. The top looked big enough to accommodate. Apparently Ginny didn't own any one pieces. I sighed and went into the bathroom across the hall. I slipped on the suit and looked in the mirror. It wasn't terrible. That's when I turned to the side and saw the bump. I sighed and decided that it would have to do. I didn't feel like wearing leggings and a t-shirt. I would just borrow something from Gin.

I opened the door and nearly ran into Bill. He looked surprised to say the least. He reached out to steady me. He smiled and looked down to my bump. His smile grew even bigger with amusement.

I glared. "I will get Ginny to give you a bat boogey hex." I hissed as I walked past him.

I heard him chuckle as I opened Ginny's door. I closed it and went to her dresser. I pulled out some faded shorts and a white tank top. Ginny was by her mirror plaiting her hair. I slipped on the clothes and walked to the mirror. She finished and moved out of the way. I tossed my hair into one of my better messy buns. I turned to see her packing our blankets into our beach bag. She tossed in a book of mine and some sun block.

We made our way down stairs and outside. We made small talk all the way to the beach that surrounded the lake. We were the last of the kids to arrive. We placed our bag in the sand and began to unload. We splayed our towels out and brought out the sun block. Ginny took her shorts and tank off before spreading the lotion on herself. Ginny was very fit from Quidditch and athletics. I looked down at my own body. My bump was growing everyday it seemed. My legs were still fairly toned along with my arms. She handed me the lotion and I sighed.

I slowly took off my shorts and tank top. I looked around self-consciously and began to lather myself in the lotion. I finished my arms and legs and began on my bump. It was bigger. I had to wear really baggy clothes to hide it anymore. I also needed to go shopping for maternity clothes soon. Only some of my clothes from before the war fit. I finished and looked up. Harry was looking at my bump with a small smile, not doubt thinking about being an uncle. Fred and George were trying to wrestle each other into the lake, Ron was blushing and looking away from my chest, I rolled my eyes and caught Bill's stupid smirk. I looked away to find Charlie. I couldn't spot him.

I felt someone tap my shoulder and I spun around. I saw Charlie smiling and motioning to the sun block. I handed it to him and he twirled me around. He began applying it to my back. He also began to kneed the knots out of my upper lumbar. My head lolled to the side and I hummed in pleasure if he got a really good spot. We both jumped when we heard Molly's voice boom as she walked toward us.

"You will not intentionally hurt each other, throw Hermione in the water unless it is gently, and you _will not_ get me wet unless I begin to swim."

I blushed when she mentioned me. Molly set her blanket down next to mine and put on a giant sun hat. I smiled at Charlie and motioned my head towards Molly. He shrugged his shoulders but followed me anyways. I sat down slowly and carefully. My bump may not be huge, but my centre of gravity was off. Charlie sat down on Ginny's blanket as she was off splashing Bill and the twins from the water. I leaned back on my hands and crossed my ankles. I looked over to Molly to see her looking toward my abdomen.

"She's killing my back." I said to her.

She looked up and smiled at me while Charlie snorted. I looked over at him with a brow raised and he put his hands up. He shifted so he was lying on his side with his elbow holding his weight and faced Molly.

"Try sitting in bed with a pillow behind you back and under your knees. It's the mass beginning to grow. Just wait until he starts to press up against your bladder." Molly said.

I gaped at her. "You too! Am I the only one who thinks the baby is a girl?" I said exasperated.

Molly looked at me with knowing eyes. "Dear, I thought every single one of my pregnancies were girls until about the end of the fourth month."

I sighed and looked at my bump. She was right. It's probably a boy. Either way, I'll love this baby more than anything.

"Have you two thought of what you're going to do?" Molly said pulling me from my thoughts.

I looked at her with a quizzical look on my face. Charlie beat me to the question. "What do you mean mum?"

She looked at both of us. "I mean, what are you going to do when the baby comes? Do you plan on living here? I absolutely don't mind if you do, but where is the baby going to sleep? Do you two plan on getting married? What exactly is your plan?" She clarified.

I looked to Charlie and saw what I assumed was the same look on my face. Uncertainty. I sighed and faced Molly. "We haven't really thought of that Molly." I admitted. Her brows shot up into her hairline. "But, I have an idea of what could happen."

Charlie and Molly looked at me to continue. I sighed and hoped I wasn't about to embarrass myself. "I've always wanted a house in a magical community. Ever since I found out about magic, I've always wanted any kids I would have to be surrounded by that. Maybe four bedrooms and two or three bathrooms. A big kitchen I can cook in, but still warm enough I can entertain guests. A big sitting room we can all gather to talk. A huge dinning table that can hold a big family. A huge backyard for the kids and any parties that would be held. Maybe a deck and some swings. Something like that.

As for marriage, I don't even know. I like Charlie. He's a nice guy. He's caring, compassionate, joyful, sturdy, and above all else, accepting. Maybe in the future, whether that's near or far, there could be something like marriage or dating. That's up to how we feel." I finished quietly.

Molly looked at me with approval. Charlie looked at me with something in his eyes I couldn't identify. Molly seemed to understand what it was though. She smiled and got a huge grin on her face.

"I think that's a great plan." She said.

I smiled and looked back to Charlie. He shifted and started to stand up. He stretched a bit before offering me a hand up. I took it and was pulled up quickly. I lost balance a bit and he caught me easily. He had his hands resting on my hips and leaned down so our heads were touching.

"I think I love that plan. I can't wait to make it a reality." He said while he leaned down further.

Our noses touched and slowly his lips brushed mine. It was soft and passionate. It was light and I wanted more. I went to deepen it but broke apart when we heard someone cat call us. We turned to find the twins giving us thumbs up. Bill had a knowing looking that was almost identical to Molly's. Harry and Ginny each had sad smiles that revealed they missed being in a relationship. Ron looked a bit upset but masked it with a smirk.

"Gross. Get a room you two." Fred shouted.

Everyone began to laugh and Charlie and me began to chuckle a bit. I looked up at Charlie and knew that I was going to have a good life. I could just see myself with him. I could see the years of happiness to come. And honestly, I couldn't wait for it to start.

* * *

 **Author's note: Thank you so much for the reviews! They make me so happy. Keep sending what gender you want the baby to be. I should update fairly quickly. I have an open schedule. Don't forget to review!**


	3. Lime Week 12

**Author's Note: I would just like to give** _ **meldz**_ **a big shout out! I agree, Molly is a wonderful person. She pushes her children to be the best they can. As for your questions, I hope these are the answers you were looking for. Charlie and Hermione will be living together. I haven't decided how soon. They will house hunt together as you will see in this chapter. I will be having poll for baby names; it will probably be a couple chapters from now though. And you'll all have to wait and see who the godfather(s?) will be. Thanks again for asking those questions and sending a review!**

 **Stubbyboardman13- I'm so sorry to hear that. It wasn't harsh at all! I love it when you guys review and correct me when I'm wrong. I certainly don't want to misinform someone about that. Thanks again for giving me that heads up!**

 **And now, for what you've all been waiting for…**

* * *

 **Thursday. 12 weeks. Lime.**

I stumbled out of the fireplace in a flurry. I felt like I could crash any moment. Being a Healer is stressful, time consuming, and sucks all the pleasures you once had out of you. God, I missed sleep. It's only my first week and I feel like death. I've worked twelve-hour shifts for four days. I know, it doesn't sound like much, but when you're unprepared and used to a full eight hours of sleep, it can be a rude awakening. Luckily, I got Friday to Sunday off.

I trudged up the dark stairs. It's two in the morning. They all went to bed hours ago. I reached the landing and opened the door. I stepped into the still bright room and smiled. Of course he stayed up. I walked over to the bed and got under the covers. I learned the first night in to just bring pajamas and wear those home.

"Long day?" He asked me.

I sighed and closed my eyes. "The longest."

"Well, I don't want to take away from your relaxation days, but I was thinking we could look for houses on Saturday."

I opened my eyes and looked at him. He looked nervous about bringing it up. A smile slowly graced my face. "I would love to Charlie. Don't we have to make an appointment? Think they'll take us so late?"

He chuckled nervously. "See, I was kind of depending on you saying we would, because I already made an appointment."

I laughed and grabbed a pillow to hit him on the head. He easily deflected and grabbed my wrist. He slowly brought it up to his lips and gave it a soft kiss. It was his version of an apology. Damn, I can't even pretend to stay mad at him. I sighed and kissed his nose. I muttered a charm that extinguished the lights and rolled onto my side for sleep. Charlie came behind me and wrapped an arm around my expanding waist. I had been crashing in his room for the week. I just didn't have the energy to make it up to my room. Or so I told myself.

* * *

 **Saturday. 12 ½ weeks. Lime.**

We made our over to the fireplace five minutes before our appointment starts. I adjusted the section above my bump before we stepped in. I was wearing a dark purple dress that ruched at the bust. It was short sleeve so I had on a black cover up. I had on some black flats. I managed to plait my hair to the side on my own.

I stepped in and threw the powder down. I whirled away in a green haze and landed in an unfamiliar fireplace. I stepped out and brushed my robes off while waiting for Charlie. Soon enough, he appeared and stepped out. He brushed himself off quickly and grabbed my hand.

We walked over to the reception desk and signed our names down. She gave us a curt nod and went back to her paperwork. We sat down and waited to be called. After five minutes of quiet talking, a man came down the hall and called Charlie's name. We stood up and followed the man down the hallway. He stopped at the fourth door on the right and led us in. We sat down across from him and waited to begin.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. I'm Drew, and I'll be your real estate agent while you look for houses." He said.

We blushed but didn't correct him on the names. He went through the basic preamble that most real estate agents go through. He seemed nice and polite. We should all get along nicely. Drew was a tall man with lanky limbs and pointed features. He has brown eyes and light sandy hair.

He turned to us and asked the most important question. "How much money are you able to spend?"

Charlie and I had discussed it. If we both pitch in, we can go up to 715,000. It would be tight, but we could manage.

We looked at each other and I turned to face Drew. "Our max is 715,000. Of course, we would be more comfortable in a lower price range."

Drew nodded his head. "That's a good budget. What all are you looking from? How many bedrooms and bathrooms? New or old? Fixer upper or move in ready? Country or city? What county?"

I sighed. There had been some little spats around some of these. "We want at least four bedrooms, at least two bathrooms, older, I prefer move in ready, I prefer the suburbs, and I prefer nothing further than Durham."

Charlie sighed and described his preferences. "I agree with everything until the move in ready part. I wouldn't mind fixing some things up, maybe personalize it. I prefer the country than anything else. And I don't want to get too far from my family. They live in Devon. So nothing further than Warwickshire."

Drew nodded his head. "That's alright. I'm sure we can find something that suits both of you." He said. He stood up and grabbed his papers. "I have some properties in mind. Why don't we go and check them out? Uh, Mrs. Weasley? Are you alright to apparate?"

I looked confused for a second before remembering. I looked down at my swell and back up. "I'm good. The healers said the first trimester is alright to apparate. They said I could go up to one week past the first trimester." I said while grabbing my bag.

He led us to the apparation point and side apparated us to our first destination. We landed on a gravel drive that led up to a two-story house. I looked around a saw no other houses. We must be in the country. The outside of the house needed work. I _really_ hoped the inside didn't need it as well. We started walking and Drew began on the specifics of the home.

"Two-story, built in 1907, it has four bedrooms and two and a half baths. It has a big back yard and a deck with a pool. The inside does need some work. We are in Nottinghamshire. The current listing on this home is 630,450." He concluded as we reached the door.

We walked in and the entrance was cramped. We all just barely fit. The staircase leading up was dark and narrow. To the left was what I could only assume was the sitting room. It was small and had carpet that screamed 'I'm from the 70's!' We moved through the sitting room and into and equally tiny dinning room. It had the original wood, which I liked. There were no windows though. We moved through it quickly.

We opened a sliding door to the kitchen. The kitchen was terrible. The counters were mustard yellow with grime and grout out the arse. There was no refrigerator or stove. The sink was tiny and stained. The only good thing about the kitchen was that it led to an amazing back yard. It was big and spacious. It had a huge deck that opened into a fairly large pool. The rest of the yard was neatly trimmed with open space.

We headed back into the hideous kitchen and made out way back to the stairs. We climbed the stairs and grouped on the landing. The first door on the left was a small bathroom that only had a sink and toilet. Across from the bathroom was a small bedroom. So small, that it would be considered a workroom or nursery. We went to the next room and found it to be big and vaulted. It must be the master. It had an en suite bathroom.

The other bathroom was tight and cluttered. The other two bedrooms were small and old. One had a smell that no one could find. We exited the house and reviewed. Even Charlie thought it would be too much work. He also didn't like how far away it was from Devon. I didn't understand that. He could just floo or apparate to the Burrow.

We apparated to the next location. The house was big and newer. It hit the top of our budget though. It had five bedrooms and only two bathrooms. The kitchen was small for such a big house. It had two sitting rooms and a finished basement. The backyard was unimpressive. It was small and closed off. The house was in the city. The streets were loud and busy. The home was also in North Lincolnshire. Overall, the house was nice, but it didn't feel like a home we could spend years in.

We spent the whole day looking for homes. We stopped to grab lunch in North Yorkshire. In all, we must have seen thirty homes in one day. Some of them were amazing. They were exactly what I was looking for, but either lacked that certain feeling of contentedness or Charlie's approval.

We looked at houses as far as Hartlepool and as close as Swindon. None of the houses were 'the one.' Some of the homes were perfect but the location wasn't. Charlie and I didn't want a home in the city. We thought it would be too loud and busy.

We returned back to the Burrow in defeat. We were going back tomorrow to continue the search. I even got a call from work saying I had Monday off. If need be, we would look Monday as well. We entered the kitchen just as dinner was starting. We sat down next to each other and piled our plates high. About half way through, the dreaded question came.

"How was house hunting?" Ginny asked.

We both groaned and closed our eyes. "It was _terrible_. We saw some nice homes, but we couldn't agree on certain things. He wants a fixer upper in the country that's no further than Warwickshire."

Charlie huffed and gave me a look. "She wants a house that is move in ready that's in the suburbs and would be willing to go as far as Durham." He ground out.

Molly had been watching in amusement. She sighed and got our attention. "Why don't you try to compromise? Charlie, you can always floo or apparate here. You won't miss much. We have the clock. We'll know if you guys are alright. Hermione, Charlie is very handy. Besides, he'll be using magic to fix and redecorate things. Something that would normally take a week can be reduced to two days at most. As for country or suburb, try to find something in the middle. Something with a lot of land but closer to others."

I hated to admit it, but that sounded like a good idea. We both sighed and agreed with Molly. She always did know best. The rest of dinner passed without a hitch. Dessert was served and bellies were full. We all moved into the sitting room and sat in relative quietness. I was rubbing my belly when I thought I felt a flutter. I sat up straight and put my hands on my swell. I felt it again! It was this tiny little flutter. It felt light and almost like someone was tapping on my belly.

"What's wrong Hermione? Is the baby ok?" Charlie asked with concern evident in his voice. He pressed a hand to my belly as well.

I looked at him in excitement. "Everything is fine. I think I felt the baby move. Like it was shifting or something." I laughed when I felt it again. I pressed Charlie's hand to where I felt it. I waited for her to move. I felt it again and giggled. "Did you feel her?"

Charlie shook his head no. "I didn't feel anything."

Molly came up next to me and pressed a hand to my swell. We waited for her to move again. I felt it again and looked at both of them. "Hermione, I think it's still too early for anyone besides you to feel him move." Molly said.

Well, that's a bummer. I looked to Charlie. He nodded his head sadly. I looked to Molly again. "When will you guys be able to feel her?" I asked.

"We should be able to feel him kick and move around during your fifth month or so. It's different for every pregnancy. Bill was at the beginning of my sixth month. Ron was the end of my fourth month."

I sighed and looked to Charlie. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you or get your hopes up."

"It's fine love. I can wait a little longer." He said giving my forehead a kiss.

Ginny came over and sat next to me. "What does it feel like when he/she moves?"

"She."

"He." Charlie and I said at the same time

I rolled my eyes at Charlie and snorted. I'm still not giving up on my idea of having a girl. I grabbed Ginny's hand and placed it in my lap.

"It feels a bit like this." I said while lightly tapping the pads of my fingers on her palm.

Harry came over and stood next to Charlie. "How's my godson doing in there?" He asked.

I snorted and looked up at him. "In there? Is she in a crate or something?" I joked.

Harry blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "She's doing good. Killing my back, but other than that, great."

Molly chuckled knowingly. Bill came over and clapped Harry on the back. "That would be co-godson my good man." He said.

Charlie and I laughed. We both decided to pick our own godfather's. We couldn't decide between Harry and Bill. So, we chose both.

"I can't believe you didn't make me godfather Hermione." Ron grumbled.

We all chuckled at Ron's grumblings and carried on with our night. Soon, Charlie and I decided to head up for bed. I was still absolutely knackered from work. Besides, being pregnant is exhausting. I grabbed some pajamas and changed into them. I walked into Charlie's room and got into bed. He got in a minute later and turned the lights off. Sleep came quickly.

* * *

 **Monday. 12 ½ weeks. Lime**

I sighed as we exited the latest house. It needed way too many updates and only had one and a half bathrooms. It was just an awful house. We had gone house hunting yesterday. We probably looked at twenty-five houses. Only one stood out. It had three bathrooms and three bedrooms. It had almost no yard though. The house was a bit small, but it was damn near perfect.

Drew took us to the second to last house of the day. We landed in a cute little cul de sac with five houses on it. They were all older traditional English homes. He led us to the big home on the right with a plaster exterior and a brick entrance. The home was big and had many windows. The front yard was medium sized and the grass was neatly cut.

"This home is two-story, and built in 1893. It has six bedrooms and seven bathrooms. It has a finished basement and an in-ground pool. There is room to add a deck. You are on an acre and a half of land in the back. We are about thirty minutes south of Manchester. And the house is listed for 705,550"

We entered the home and immediately noticed the original wood floors. The walls had a new finish and the windows were newer. We made our way into the large sitting room. The room was big and had natural light pouring in from the French doors to the stone patio outside. The yard was huge and had a giant pool. The sitting room is connected to the kitchen.

The kitchen is big and has vaulted ceilings. The cabinets are white with black granite counters. The floors are black and white checkered marble. The kitchen had a peninsula that seated six. We moved to lounge/dinning room. The lounge had a giant sectional with plush chairs and an enormous entertainment center.

The dinning room had a rectangular table that could seat ten. Above the table was an intricate chandelier that had tiny stones of quartz hanging from it. The dinning room had doors that led to a music room. It had a desk and bookcases in it though. It was more of a study.

We head back into the lounge and through the doors. We found ourselves in a conservatory. It was all windows and had lounge chairs looking onto the fantastic yard. It had a light white carpet that made the room feel bigger and more airy.

We head back to the sitting room and down the hall to view the bedrooms on the main floor. Each room is spacious and has its own en suite. We see a small bathroom on the main floor as well. There's a library that is stacked floor to ceiling with bookcases. The library has comfy looking furniture.

The upstairs holds two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The master bedroom is big and airy. It has an en suite the size of the Weasley's sitting room. It has it's own dressing room with closets that could hold four people's clothes. The bedroom next to the master is the smallest in the house. It would make for an excellent nursery. It is still big enough to grow with our child.

We head back downstairs and into the basement. It has a bedroom and en suite bathroom. The bedroom is a fair size. It has two windows and a big closet. We head back upstairs and to the sitting room. We head out the French doors and we explored the backyard. It had a shed all the way in the back. The garage is still visible from the yard. The pool is big and clean.

Drew shows us a guest suite. It has a large bedroom and a large bathroom. We head back to the stone patio and into the house from the conservatory. The house is amazing. I look around and I can see myself chasing little gingers all over the place. I can see myself watching TV with my kids and Charlie. I can see teaching the kids how to swim in the pool. I can see myself getting dresses in the mornings and checking on the baby. I can actually _see_ myself living in this house. I turned to Charlie with wonder in my eyes.

"Charlie, I think I'm in love with this house."

He turned to me with pure bliss. "I think I am too."

I squealed and hugged him with all my might. We broke apart and I grabbed his face with my hands. I stretched up and gave him a passionate kiss. He kissed me back with as much vigor. We broke apart and touched our heads together. We jumped when we heard a throat being cleared.

"So, does this mean you'll put an offer in? It just came on the market today and there are no other bids. If you bid in full, you can probably get the house today." Drew said.

"Put a bid in for us." We said at the same time.

We looked at each other and around the sitting room. This is where we belonged. This house is perfect for us. This house can grow old with us. This house will have our grandchildren in it. We can make memories in this house. We can make memories as a family here. I can't wait to get started.

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 **Author's note 2: Thank you so much for the reviews! They make my day. I just wanted to post a chapter before the weekend. I won't be able to update during the weekend; so, I decided to just do it now.**

 **Author's note 3: Keep sending reviews for the gender of the baby. I'll probably ask for names next chapter. Don't forget to review!**


	4. Lemon Week 13 and a half

**Author's Note: I would just like to give** _ **meldz**_ **a big shout out! Thanks for asking all the questions! I'll try my best to answer without giving away plot. Charlie is still technically employed in Romania, but will be job-hunting soon; he'll need to find something in England. He pretty much doesn't live in Romania anymore. Yes, the fruit sizes are the baby. Lime's and lemons are pretty much the same size. Limes are a bit smaller though. And I definitely can see Charlie and Hermione competing for Molly's record.**

 **To end my ramblings, here's what you all came for.**

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 **Monday. 13 ½ weeks. Lemon.**

It had been a week since we bought the new house. We don't actually get the keys for another two weeks. The house will come fully furnished and have all the appliances and utilities. We bid full price and got the call last Tuesday. Charlie and I are officially homeowners. Molly was so excited when she heard the news. She went a little over board with dinner and dessert, but we weren't complaining.

Right now, Charlie and me have a doctor's appointment. We are going to find out the sex of the baby. The muggle world is a couple weeks later. The earliest you can find out the sex is sixteen weeks. The Wizarding world has you take a potion and the OB can get a clearer picture. I'm so happy I'm a witch.

I slipped on some athletic shorts to match my grey and black exercise top. I walked over to my shoe rack and picked out my running shoes. I walked back to my bed and sat down. I put on my socks and slowly put my shoes on. I bent forward as much as I could to tie my shoes. I tied them and pushed off the bed.

I walked out the door and descended down the stairs. I already ate breakfast. I just needed to grab Charlie so we can head out. I made it to the bottom of the stairs and walked into the kitchen. I stood in the doorway and cleared my throat. Charlie looked up and grabbed his plate.

"You excited Mione?" Ginny asked.

I smiled at the young woman and nodded. "I'm super excited. I can't wait to prove you all wrong."

Bill looked up and snorted. "You're having a boy. Just be glad you aren't having twins. Imagine raising children that were as active as Fred and George."

I made a face to what would be akin to horror. Bill gave a loud guffaw and went back to his breakfast.

"I hope that the baby is a girl. We need more girls around here." Ginny mumbled.

I agreed with her and got moved toward the fireplace as Charlie put away his plate. I grabbed some powder and stepped into the fireplace. I turned around just as Charlie came into view. I threw it down and was whisked away by magic. I swirled around and landed in the hospitals fireplace. I stepped out and brushed my robs off.

I waited patiently for Charlie to emerge from the green flames. He appeared within seconds and lightly brushed himself off. We made our way to the check in counter. We signed our names and category. We walked over to the seating area to wait. We chatted idly for a good fifteen minutes before our names were called.

Charlie stood up and offered me his hand. I smiled in gratitude as he hoisted me up with ease. We followed the nurse to the exam room set up for us. I walked in and went straight for the table. I hopped up and we waited again for Healer Rudnikov to come. We only had to wait a few minutes before she came in carrying a small vial filled with light pink potion. She set it down next to her and turned to us.

"Good afternoon. How are you doing this fine day?" She asked in her mild Russian accent.

"Good." We both responded. She nodded and walked over to the rubber gloves. She slipped them on and turned back to us.

"We'll do a simple check up on the baby. Just to make sure everything is going good. Do you want to know the sex?"

We both nodded enthusiastically. She gave a slight chuckle and instructed me to lie down and lift my shirt up. She pointed her wand at my noticeable swell and muttered a charm. A projection of our baby appeared above my abdomen. The baby was easily distinguishable now. The head, arms, abdomen, and feet could clearly be made out. She shifted it around to get better angles. She reached behind her and grabbed the potion. She handed it to me and turned her focus to me as well.

"Just drink this and we should be able to tell the sex."

I popped the cork out and gulped it down in one go. It was slightly bitter with a clinical aftertaste. It had slight scent of lilac. We waited a few seconds before the projection became even clearer. She moved her wand around and zoomed in to the pelvic region. She smiled and grabbed her clipboard. She wrote something down turned to us. She clicked her pen and put it into her healer coat.

"Congratulations. You have a very healthy baby boy." She said while standing up.

The projection faded and I looked up to Charlie. He had this loving look in his eyes. He turned his gaze down to me and it intensified a little. We were having a boy. A boy that would most likely have ginger hair and blue eyes. A boy that would love books and dragons. A boy that would have two parents that would love him more than anything. A boy that would have six uncles and an aunt. A boy who would be loved.

"We're having a boy Charlie." I whispered.

"I know." He said while leaning down.

He gave me a slow kiss and intertwined our fingers. I'm sure we looked like a normal husband and wife that were celebrating their child. We looked like a happily ever after family with a baby on the way. We looked like a typical family, but we also _felt_ like a typical one as well. I felt like a normal family with him. I couldn't wait to expand our family.

I hopped off the table and intertwined our fingers again. We walked out of the room and back to the sign in station. We signed ourselves out and grabbed the picture of the projection. We walked hand-in-hand back to the floo. We broke apart and went to the Burrow separately. I went first and landed at the Burrow with a thud. I stepped out and walked to the kitchen.

When I walked in, I found the whole Weasley clan there. I assumed they all came to hear the sex of the baby. They looked up when Harry cleared his throat and nodded in my direction. I smiled and sat down next to George. Charlie came in a second later and stood behind me. Molly looked at us expectantly.

"Well?" She said after a moment.

Charlie placed his hand on my shoulder and smiled. "You'll be welcoming your first grandson into the world in about twenty-six weeks."

Everyone whooped and high fived each other in celebration. Molly got up and rounded the table to give each of us a hug. She was crying a bit and red in the face from happiness. Ginny came up next and placed a consoling hand on my free shoulder.

"If it makes you feel any better, I really thought it would be a girl."

I laughed and bent up to give her a hug. Deep down, I had some inkling of an idea that the baby would be a boy. I convinced myself that I would have a girl. I wanted to be able to play with her hair and have another Weasley girl. In the end, I couldn't ask for anything more than a healthy baby.

"Got any names in mind?" One of the twins asked.

I looked up at Charlie and he shrugged his shoulders. I looked back at the rest of the table. "I don't have a first name in mind, but I really want the middle name to be after an important Roman. Like Julius, or Augustus, or something like that." I said while they all gave me a funny look. "What? Parents name their kids after constellations and stars. It's not that weird."

They all reassured me that it was a good idea. We spent the next hour or so coming up with baby names. Some ranged from more common and modern names to traditional god-awful names. There were some good names through the mix though. Some I would even consider. Then there were the one's that made our bellies hurt from laughing so hard. These usually came from the twins. In the end, we agreed it was a tad too early to really consider baby names.

I got up and told them I was going to go take a nap. I asked Charlie to wake me up at three so I could go maternity shopping with Gin. I walked out of the room and lumbered up the stairs. I walked into Charlie's room and collapsed onto the bed. I got under the covers and wrapped them around me. I was asleep in minutes.

My dreams were filled with a tiny little red head running around in the grass. Dream me stooped down and caught the young toddler. He looked about one and a half. He had the lightest shade of blue I eyes I had ever seen. They were an ice blue with specks of green hazel dotting the irises. He had curly ginger hair and loads of freckles.

Dream version of me had my hair in loose waves and some strands pinned back. I was wearing a flowing sundress that went to my knees. We were both barefoot and playing the grass. However, I sat down in the grass tickling the little boy while he laughed up a storm. He got away from me and ran around on his unsure toddler legs. I tried to get up but couldn't due to the large swell of my belly. I was easily six months pregnant.

Dream me called something out to the open French doors that led to our new sitting room in the house we just bought. A minute later, a dream version of Charlie came out. He was wearing a black t-shirt and khaki shorts. His hair was a bit longer on the sides, but still in a professional cut. He walked over to me and laughed at my current predicament before bending down to help me up.

Dream Charlie bent down and caught the little boy who was running around on wobbly legs. I got a closer look at Charlie and realized how young he looked when he was smiling and laughing. My eyes skimmed down from his neck and saw a light pink/white scar curving from his collarbone down to his right breast and disappearing beneath the fabric. I was about to ask what happened when things got blurry and the sweet images vanished.

I came to my senses and opened my eyes slowly. My eyes focused and I looked up to see Charlie looking down on me with amusement. He had been shaking me awake unsuccessfully for a bit I could assume. My eyes darted to his collarbone but found no scar. That was confusing.

My puzzlement evaporated when he bent down and gave me soft kiss. What a way to wake up. I stretched lazily and sat up. Shopping with Ginny. Right. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up. I patted him sleepily as I walked past.

I walked into the bathroom and relieved myself. I stood up and flushed before going to the sink. I washed my hands and looked in the mirror. Yikes. My hair was mussed up from the sleep and my mascara was smudged below my eyes. I grabbed my wand and fixed my hair before completely removing my make-up.

I reapplied my make-up quickly. I added some black eyeliner and mascara. I decided it would have to do and left the bathroom. I trudged down the stairs and into the sitting room. I found Ginny talking with Bill on the couch. I announced my appearance and we walked to the fireplace. I grabbed some floo powder and stepped in. I called out the 'Leaky Cauldron' and whirled away.

I landed in the pub and stepped aside for Ginny. She came a second later and stumbled out. She brushed her robes off in a huff and started walking. We walked into Diagon Alley and into the large crowds. We pushed our way through the mass amounts of bodies. We stepped off to the side to walk better after a while of getting knocked about.

We went to Madam Malkin's Robes first. She has some maternity clothes. We walked into the store and saw a fair amount of people in there. Hogwarts starts back up in a week or so. Parents are out doing some last minute shopping for the school year.

We headed toward the maternity section and began to rifle through the clothes. We don't really find anything and the selection is small. I'm looking at the edge of the maternity section, right before it cuts off into the men's section. I pulled the clothes apart inspecting them all efficiently when I heard the last person I wanted to deal with.

"Granger? Is that you?" I heard from my right. I looked up and saw none other than Draco-bloody-Malfoy.

"Yes it is. Good to see you Malfoy." I said civilly but with a slight sharpness. Ginny made her way over to my side. She looked ready to fight if she had to.

He looked down to my stomach and back up with surprise. "I see congratulations are in order." He said with a politeness I wasn't accustomed to hearing from him.

After the war, the Malfoy's had taken a big hit socially. They were legally cleared, well, Malfoy and his mom were cleared but Lucius was sent to Azkaban for crimes committed against muggles and muggle-born witches. Narcissa Malfoy was trying her hardest to get back into the good graces of the wizarding world. They really seemed to be trying. I could give them credit for that, but you never forget being tortured in a house while they stood by and did nothing to help.

"Uh, thanks Malfoy." I said.

He nodded and looked to Ginny. He was never as bad to her as he was to Ron. He was still cruel and taunting, but he actually seemed to hold back when it came to Ginny.

"You look well Weasley." He said carefully.

Her brows shot up and her stance weakened a bit. She looked completely flabbergasted at his civility towards her.

"I am. Um, thanks Malfoy. You look, uh, good yourself?" She said the end like a question.

He gave a small, sad smile. It wasn't a smirk or a scowl, but a real smile, a sad one, but still a smile. "Thank you Weasley." He looked down and checked his watch. "Well, I must be going. Have a good rest of your day. Granger?"

I looked at him and hummed in response. "Give Weasley my best."

I blushed and mumbled under my breath about 'wrong Weasley.' He looked at me confused and then turned to Ginny.

"Tell Potter I wish him the best of luck on his Auror test tomorrow. I heard it's rather difficult." He said.

Ginny blushed and looked away. "We aren't together anymore actually." She said quietly.

Malfoy's faced morphed into slight shock. He composed himself quickly and shuffled awkwardly. "Uh, I'm sorry to here that." He said and gave a nod before turning and heading out of the store.

"That was weird." Ginny said.

I nodded my head in response. His entire family was a social out cast. No one wanted anything to do with the Malfoy's anymore. The only people who stuck by the Malfoy's were the Greengrass's and Blaise Zabini. The paper's would constantly jump at the opportunity to publish completely false articles about Malfoy and his mother. He was looking for redemption. He was looking for a friend. I felt pity for him and his mom. Not for their actions, but for everything that's happened to them after the war. It was downright sad. I turned away from the door and continued looking for clothes with Ginny. My mind never really stopped thinking about how lonely Malfoy looked though.

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 **Author's note2: I know, it's a rather short chapter. I have also had a bit of writters block on both my stories. Sorry if this one seemed like a filler chapter. So you found out the sex of the baby! I know half of you wanted a girl and the other half wanted a boy. I really hope some of you aren't too disappointed though. There's always more time to have babies.**

 **Author's note 3: Now that the gender is out of the way, you can send me names you want the baby to be. So don't forget to review!**


	5. Orange 14 and a half weeks

**Author's Note: I would just like to give** _ **meldz**_ **a big shout out! Thanks for all the suggestions and questions! I like the name Ethan. Thanks for the suggestion. I'm a Dramione fan as well. The whole Ginny/Draco pairing probably won't play too huge of a role in this story. Maybe brought up for a couple paragraphs every now and then. I can really see Charlie and Hermione as family and not wanting to wait to expand it. Hmm, you'll have to see about the scar and what's to come. Thanks again for the wonderful reviews! Another shout out goes to** _ **apriljunemay**_ **!**

 **See the bottom for an important question I have to ask you guys.**

 **And now, for a brand spanking new chapter.**

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 **Saturday. 14 ½ weeks. Orange.**

I was sitting down as Harry came trudging into the room with my last box of clothes. His hair was ruffled from running his hands through it. Today was the day that Charlie and me started to move into the new house. We only had to bring our clothes and small personal belongings as the house came fully furnished. We had gotten the keys two days ago. We spent the entirety of yesterday packing up all our clothes and possessions for the move. Normally, it would have only taken a few hours tops, but more that one pillow fight happened between our group; the twins were usually the winners.

"Do you know how hard it is to carry thirty pounds of clothes?" He grumbled when I gave him a look for rubbing his back in pain.

I chuckled. "Do you know what it's like to have your breasts, feet, stomach, and hands swell with pregnancy?" I said to his disgusted face.

"I take it back. You have it worse."

I laughed and pushed myself out of the chair in mine and Charlie's new room. There was nothing else to move. I walked over to the door to head downstairs to help Molly with dinner. She wanted the first meal that would be cooked in the home to be special. I walked down the stairs with Harry right behind me.

I walked into the sitting room that was connected to the kitchen. I found most of Weasley's in the sitting room. Some were mingling around in the kitchen or the room right next to the sitting room. I spotted Ginny and decided that now was as good a time as any to have that talk she wanted to.

I walked over to her and tapped her shoulder. She turned around and raised a fiery eyebrow at me. I nodded my head to the French doors. A look of understanding crossed over her face and she wrapped an arm through mine with ease. We looked like good friends walking and chattering to the oblivious. We passed Charlie and I gave him a look that said 'I'll tell you later.'

We marched onto the deck by the pool and sat down in the deck chairs. I adjusted my blouse to fit more comfortably over my bump. I stopped fidgeting and looked up to Ginny. She was leaning forward and facing me with her hands clasped in her lap.

"What'd you want to talk about Gin?"

She took a deep breath and looked me straight in the eyes. This can't be good. "You know how I had that dinner last night?"

"You mean that date? Yeah, why?"

"It wasn't a date per say. Anyways, I never told you who I went to dinner with did I?"

"Uh, no." I said trying to figure out where she was going with this

She heaved a big sigh. "I wasn't going to tell you who it was unless I had a good time. I didn't think I would actually have fun given who it is, but I did and I want your input on it."

I nodded my head for her to continue. She must think that no one likes this guy or something. She went into a date thinking she would have a terrible time. This will probably be a good story.

"You know how we ran into Malfoy a bit ago?"

"Yeeeeaah." I said stretching the word out. I was trying to figure out what he had to do with this when I caught this look she made. Holy fuck. She had to be kidding me. "Gin, tell me you didn't." I said lowly.

She looked down and bit her lip. "Ginny!" I said in a whisper hiss.

She looked up with only some guilt. It was mostly challenge. "He owled me the next day to apologize for possibly upsetting me with the whole Harry thing. He said that he hadn't known and was just trying to extend an olive branch. He said that he would like to get to know me. He just invited me to some little Italian restaurant. I didn't think that I would have a good time and he would say something bigoted or mean, but he didn't.

"I figured that I would give him a chance. Everyone deserves a second chance, even Malfoy. I know that he was absolutely terrible to you guys in school and there are no excuses for what he did then, but I think you're blaming him for the things his fucking crazy dad and mum did before and during the war. He's not a bad guy. Sure, he's a bit awkward at first, but once you get a conversation going, he isn't that bad." She finished with a swipe of her short red side bangs.

I sighed and looked heavily at her. "Fine. What did you need my input on?"

She gave me a small smile. "He asked me to go out to dinner with him again."

"And? What's the problem? I thought you had a good time?" I asked in confusion.

"I did. I just, what if it actually goes somewhere and I want to bring him around to 'meet the family.'" She said using air quotes and an eye roll at the end.

"Do you see yourself that far down the road with him?" I asked in shock.

"I don't know. He's funny, sweet, and would treat me right. I get that feeling in my chest where it feels like my heart is smiling and filled with content, you know?"

I looked up at the French doors behind us and saw Charlie smiling and laughing with Bill. He had crinkles around his eyes and he looked so young and happy. He looked like he did in my dream. My heart did a little flutter and I smiled a bit. I looked back at Ginny who was waiting for an answer.

"Yeah, yeah I do."

"So what do you think I should do?" She asked after checking over her shoulder and looking to see who got me all giddy.

"Gin, I don't personally like Malfoy," I raised my hand when she looked like she was going to bud in. "But, I can suck up my pride and ego to be civil towards him for your sake. It looks like he makes you happy. And these days, happiness is a blessing. Go for it, if it works, it works. If it doesn't, at least you know that you tried in the end."

She smiled and shot up from her seat and hugged the shit out of me. Which, if you take into consideration that I was still sitting in the chair and had a swell that protruded a good five and a half inches from my body, was a an impressive feat.

She hauled me to my feet and tucked her hand in the crook of my arm. We walked back into the sitting room talking about nothing in particular. I saw Molly finishing up with the food and volunteered to help set the table. I grabbed a handful of forks and spoons and set out to do my task.

I was setting my forks and spoons out when I felt a pair of hands wrap around my bump from behind and a head rest itself on top of mine. I smiled and tilted my head back and to the side so I could look up at him. I could feel his stubble grip my hair and drag it forward as I moved.

"What's up?" I asked.

"What were you two talking about so secretly?" He asked back.

I looked and saw Ron and the twins glance at us and pretend not to listen. So, I did the most rational thing I could; I lied. Well, not _really_ lied _too_ much. I only told him part of it.

"She was just telling me about this Italian restaurant she tried with a friend."

"If you must know, dear brother, the restaurant is called _'L'uva da Italia.'_ She said with a light glare.

I looked at her. "You went to a restaurant called 'The grapes from Italy?'"

Everyone in the room looked at me with curiosity. "What?"

"You speak Italian? I thought you only spoke French." Ron said.

"I found it really interesting as a child and begged my parents to get me a tutor to teach it to me. I just haven't really found a use for it yet." I explained with a shrug.

Charlie chuckled quietly and I could feel it rumble in my chest. I decided that I liked that feeling very much. I reached up and kissed the corner of his mouth and went back to setting the table. I finished up mere seconds before Molly came out with a roast that would give us left overs for two weeks.

Dinner commenced and jokes were thrown about. I piled my plate high with the most delicious food I've ever tasted from Molly. Deep down, I know that Molly was a bit sad to have her son and pretty much second daughter move out. I knew that once Molly got to hold her grandson for the first time, she would forget that his parents conceived him out of wedlock and are living together out of it as well.

I had never been one for weddings. I hadn't really seen the point of spending thousands of euros on a party that was only for a day. Someone could just as easily get a marriage license and go down to the courthouse in nice clothes for a fraction of the cost. Marriage isn't a bad, but the whole part of getting married is blown way out of proportion in my opinion.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't her Harry call my name. I felt someone nudge my shoulder and I snapped out of my musings to look at Charlie sitting beside me on our couch. I raised my eyebrows at him.

"It's your turn." He said.

Oh, right. We were coming up with the most embarrassing thing that happened to us while we were at Hogwarts. Harry had just gone and I could only surmise that it was my turn. I took a deep breath and prepared my story.

"Do you guys remember during Harry, Ron, and my second year when the Chamber of Secrets was opened?" I asked the twins, Harry, Ron, and Ginny. They all nodded and Ginny gave a small shudder. Poor girl. "Right, well, Harry, Ron, and myself were trying to figure out who had opened it. We had thought that we had a good idea of who did; Draco Malfoy." I explain. Harry and Ron turn red from suppressed laughter. They knew the memory I was getting at. Ginny had a light blush for an entirely different reason. This didn't go unnoticed by Charlie.

"Being the little smartasses we were, we came up with a plan that would get us three into the Slytherin Common Room. Well, it was _supposed_ to be all three of us." Harry and Ron busted out in laughter at this point. I ignored them and continued. "I had come up with the idea to use Polyjuice potion to imitate Malfoy's goons and a girl named Millicent Bulstrode."

"You decided to brew an illegal potion at the age of twelve to get information?" Charlie asked incredulously.

"Unfortunately, spending so much time with these two rubbed off on me." Is said gesturing to Ron and Harry. I continued with the story. "We gathered all the supplies we needed for the potion, tending to it in between classes and when we had free time. I finished up the potion and snatched the hairs we needed to make it complete. It worked. It had actually worked." I said.

"Yeah, but how is that embarrassing for you? You brewed an extremely complex potion some kids in N.E.W.T. level potion's class can't brew." Bill pointed out.

I smiled at him ruefully. "Yes, I did. But you're forgetting the important fact that in the beginning of my story I said it was _supposed_ to get all three of us in. It didn't get all of us in. Only two of us." I said cryptically. I saw all eyes trying to figure out my hidden message. "What is the only way Polyjuice will work?" I ask.

"It only works if you add a hair to it. So you can transform." Bill supplied.

"What about it will only work with the hair." I quizzed.

"It'll only work if you use a human hair. Well, you're only supposed to use human hair." Charlie clarified.

"Apply that to the story." I pushed.

Charlie and Bill's eyes lit up in understanding and looked at me with faces of shock. The twins came a few seconds later with the understanding.

"Hermione…" Charlie trailed off.

I gave them all a small smile and a nod. "I spent a month in the hospital as a cat. I had the ears, tail, whiskers, everything. It was so mortifying. I hadn't grabbed Millicent's hair off my robe, but her cat's." I finished my story with an embarrassed flush.

Ron and Harry lost it all over again at the memory. The night had worn on, filled with laughter and embarrassing stories causing our bellies to ache. Around one in the morning, people began to file home with yawns and happiness still etched into their faces.

I intertwined my hands with Charlie's and we climbed the stairs to our new master bedroom. He opened the door and we walked into the box-cluttered room. After magically unpacking all our clothes and grabbing our toiletries, we prepared for bed.

I was going to take a quick shower before bed to wash my hair. I grabbed my towels and plucked my shampoo and conditioner up from the night table. I walked over to the dresser and grabbed some blue silk shorts and my silk camisole. I walked to the en suite bathroom but stopped when I heard Charlie speak up.

"I could always join you in there." Charlie teased.

I looked at him and decided that I was in a good enough mood to give him his own surprise. I gave him a smirk and opened the door wider.

"Alright, but you have to help me wash my hair." I said while walking further into the large bathroom.

I could hear him sputtering from his spot on the bed. Good, I had given him quite a shock. I hadn't been lying either. I left the door open and started to strip my day clothes off. I was down to my knickers and bra when Charlie finally joined me in the bathroom. He quickly tore his shirt off and slid his pants down. He looked like a kid on Christmas morning.

I turned the shower on before we stepped in so it could heat up a bit. I reached behind my back to unclasp my bra. I felt it unhinge and become loose. I took it off and threw it into the hamper by the door. My nipples became erect in the still cool bathroom. I slid my pink knickers down and tossed them in the pile of clothes as well.

I turned and saw Charlie begin to slide his boxers down his toned legs. Really, his whole damn body was toned and rippled with muscle. Not in the over done and too-bulky-to-be-attractive way, but the kind that expressed he had to be in shape for his job. His job, I could see all the burn scars and regular scars he got from his old job in Romania. I liked them, they told stories from his job.

I glanced down to his left forearm where he was sporting a small burn. He had gotten it his first day of work. Charlie had transferred to the English Dragon Reserve two weeks ago when we bought the house. He had been working there for almost a week now. He said he loves it there. Says that the reserve is bigger and the workers are nicer to the dragons. I knew with him being a dragon tamer and all that there would be cuts and burns out the arse, so I had taken his assistant out to lunch to try and woo him into reporting to me if Charlie got hurt. He was persuaded.

I stepped under the spray and felt Charlie stand behind me. We stood under the hot spray of the shower enjoying the closeness of our bodies as water pelted down on us. Charlie moved his hands from my swell to my hips. Since the pregnancy, my hips had become wider. Almost unnoticeable, but still wider.

His hands slowly moved further south on my body. Slow enough to give me time to tell him to stop if I wanted. I didn't want him to stop though. His hands continued they're trail down. His mouth came to my ear and he whispered something that I had to strain to hear. I turned around like he asked me to.

His fingers made contact with the destination he had in mind. I gasped as I felt him rub small circles into my clit. I immediately felt a coil in my lower abdomen tighten at the feeling. He applied more pressure to the bundle of nerves. I moaned low in my throat when he stroked a finger down and slid a digit in. He slowly began to pump in and out of me while maintaining a steady pace of rubbing with his thumb.

I felt his cock begin to twitch and become erect. I would take care of him next I decided. He maneuvered so he could add another finger inside of my opening. I shuddered and I felt his other hand reach up and play with one of my nipples. My breasts were a bit sore, so I would have enjoyed it a bit more if it didn't have a bit of pain to it. Still, I was more occupied with the amazing things that Charlie was doing to me.

I felt his fingers curl inside of me and I honest to god think it's the best feeling I have ever felt. I arched my back up and pushed us closer together. I felt his form abs on my soft bump. His circling becomes faster and so does the pumping. I can feel his fully erect cock throbbing on the underside of my abdomen. He adds even more pressure and I feel the tight coils in my lower abdomen explode in pleasure. I can feel the hot effects of my orgasm flow through my body.

My legs go a bit wobbly and Charlie holds me close as my orgasm courses through my body. I can feel my heart beat speed up as he holds me and gives me small kisses on my forehead. My hands are gripped tightly on his firm shoulders. I finally come down from my high and regain the ability to stand on my own two feet again. I smiled up at him in what I could only assume was my brightest smile. I gave him a quick peck on the lips and turned to adjust the heat of the water.

I turned back around and placed my hands on his belly button. I began to trail my hands lower on his 'V' shape. I was about to close my small hands around his throbbing cock when he grabbed then. He looked me directly in the eyes before he spoke.

"I don't expect you to help me in return. I just wanted you to feel good. It was all about you, so don't feel obligated to return the favour." He said with sincerity.

"I want to. I appreciate what you did for me, I _really_ appreciate what you did for me, but I want to do it." I replied quietly.

He smiled and gave me a quick kiss. He gently let go of my hands and I made quick work of trailing them back down to the base of his cock again. I grasped him in one hand and felt his cock twitch and him give a low groan. I tightened my hold and pumped up and down with one hand while the other began to swipe the head. I continued this for a bit, enjoying the feeling of him in my hands.

He lifted a hand and placed it on the tiles while he muttered something that sounded like 'fuck' under his breath. I tightened my hold and pumped faster to give him the same pleasure he had given me. I heard him moan and I moved my thumb right under the head of his cock. He gripped the wet tiles even harder and his breathing was a bit shallow.

I felt his cock shudder and he tried to say something but it came out as a moan. I kept pumping and pulled him to me like he did with me. I held him close as he released his seed onto my hand and stomach. It would wash off; I just wanted to give him the same closeness he gave me.

He rested his head on my shoulder and rode out the waves of his orgasm. I just held him and kissed his firm chest. He finally straightened and gave me a searing kiss. He pulled apart and rested his head on mine.

We must have stood there for a while, because my back got cold and I turned around to warm the water again. I asked him to hand me my shampoo when I turned around again. I squirted some into my hand and placed the glob into my hair. I was about to start lathering when he motioned for me to turn around. I followed his motions and found myself relaxing into his touch as he massaged my scalp. He started from my roots and went all the way down to the wet, curly strands.

He finished and I turned around to rinse out the bubbles and soap. I watched it travel down my breasts and over my swell. I could feel the bubbles pop around my toes. I had my eyes closed and my mind was racing. We were so… _domestic_. And I could honestly say that it didn't terrify me as much as I thought it would. It actually makes me feel happy and excited. Like my hadn't life hadn't really started until I met Charlie. Sure, my life was hectic and filled with battling evil, but it just didn't compare to what I felt right now.

I snapped out of my rapid fire thinking when he asked me turn around again so he could continue the process with the conditioner. We repeated it again, lather, massage, rinse. I tried my hardest to do the same for him, but the height difference made it almost comical. I had to stand on my tiptoes to reach his head. We laughed and tried silly different things to make it possible to reach the top of his head. It ended up with our laughter ringing out through the bathroom.

Eventually, our fun ended and we got out of the shower to dry off. I wrapped my hair in a plush towel before wrapping one around my body. Charlie slung one around his hips and walked to one side of the sink. I walked to my side and began the process of brushing my teeth and flossing. Charlie did the same and headed into the bedroom to change. He hadn't brought any clothes into the bathroom in his haste to make it before I changed my mind.

I slipped my towel off and laid it on the rack to dry. I slipped on my PJ's and released my hair from the second towel. I grabbed my wand and magically dried my hair. I could style it tomorrow. I walked out of the bathroom and saw Charlie sitting our bed tying his pajama bottoms. I looked over and saw his towel sitting on the ground. I rolled my eyes and faced him again.

"Go hang up your towel. It'll still be wet by tomorrow and start to smell." I said.

He looked up and rolled his eyes. Nonetheless, he bent down and picked it up. He made a show for sarcastically folding it up neatly. I huffed out a laugh and waked over to my side of the bed.

He came back out and laughed. "It's like we're an old married couple already." He joked.

I looked up ready to joke back when I remembered what Gin said earlier about Malfoy. ' _He's funny, he's sweet, and would treat me right. I get that feeling in my chest where it feels like my heart is smiling and filled with content, you know?'_ And I _did_ know. I knew Charlie would treat the baby and me right; he would stand by us no matter what. I would always get that feeling of pure happiness and joy when he was around. I felt _content_. And happiness _is_ a blessing anymore. In the end, it's trying what counts.

I hadn't changed my mind on the whole marriage thing. I don't hate marriage; I just don't like all the expense that goes into it. But when I thought about it, I would gladly do all the big things if it made Charlie happy. I would probably do it if it made Molly and Gin happy. I consider these people my family, but I want to make it legal

I snapped my head back up to Charlie. "What?" He asked with a raised brow.

"Why don't we be?" I asked but it sounded more like a statement.

"Be what?" He asked in confusion.

"An old married couple. Why don't we actually get married?" I asked.

His brows shot straight into his hairline from the pure shock. I could see him think about it though. He was actually considering it. A small look of content splayed over his face. I knew he was thinking about all the things I had been thinking about earlier. He slowly regained control and looked me in the eyes in seriousness.

"Are you asking me what I think you're asking me?" He said with a giant grin.

I nodded. "Charlie, will you marry me?" I asked while kneeling on the bed in front of him.

His grin turned into the biggest smile I've ever seen from him. He scooted closer to me on the bed. He was also kneeling on the soft mattress. "Yes. I'll marry you Hermione. I knew I was going to be asking you the exact same question, I just didn't know when. So this is a little different than how I planned." He confessed.

I laughed and flung my arms around him. My bump was pressed between us reminding us of what brought us together. Sure, we may have ended up together some time down the road, but that could have been, ten, fifteen years from now. This little bundle of joy got us to talk more, hang out more, and above all else, realize sooner that we had something. Something that made our hearts beat faster and our brains think of our future together. In a way, our kid played matchmaker with us. Our kid is awesome.

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 **Author's note 2- This chapter was supposed to be a bit mellow. Well, as you can see, that did not happen at all, lol. I just got all these ideas as the story went. I decided to save them for later though.**

 **As for the questioned I mentioned before the chapter started, I was thinking of starting another fic. I know, I know, I have two stories in progress as we speak (I have so much time on my hands!), but I was think one of the two fics I have now would end sooner. Like go all the way to the birth and then end the next chapter with an epilogue explaining what happened over the years. I haven't decided which story yet. So, if you want to read a new fic of mine help me pick what I want to do. I was thinking either a Community fanfic between Jeff and Annie, or a Teen Wolf one between Derek and an OC, Peter/Lydia, (Weird, I know. Sorry.) or an Issac/Allison one. Let me know in the reviews!**

 **Author's note 3- thank you for all the kind and encouraging reviews! I am currently learning Italian and will probably slip some in later during this fic. So, if you see any mistakes, feel free to correct and help me! I'm a beginner, so it may be a bit rough. Don't forget to read & review this fic and my other one called A New Family. It's a fremione fic. Thanks again!**


	6. Apple Week 15

**A/N: Huge shout out to** _ **Meldz**_ **! Lol, yeah, I didn't really feel like doing a full on sex scene in that chapter. I've always liked woman breaking gender norms. That's why I have a few ideas in mind that have to do with Hermione taking the 'place of a male role' type things. No, there is no ring yet. But, you'll just have to wait until the sweet scene of the ring proposal. Thanks again for the wonderful reviews!**

 **Sorry for such a late update you guys. I've been super busy and I haven't had all the time in the world to update.** **The next update will be Wednesday.** **I promise. I would do it earlier, but my aunt is forcing me to do things with her Monday and Tuesday. Sorry.  
**

 **Here's your chapter, you heathens XD**

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 **Tuesday. 15 Weeks. Apple.**

I laced my fingers with Charlie's before I gave a slight nod. He pushed his chair out and stood up. Charlie helped me to my feet and I gave him a small smile. We turned our attention back to the dining table full of Weasley's staring up at us.

"We have an announcement to make." I said while trying to contain my smile.

"Well duh." Ginny teased with a smile.

I rolled my eyes and stuck my tongue out at her. She returned the gesture with enthusiasm. I laughed and leaned into Charlie a bit more.

"Just tell us what it is. I want some cake." Ron grumbled.

I took a big breath and blew it out. "Charlie and I have decided to get married. We're engaged."

Ginny let out a squeal and launched herself at us. She wrapped Charlie and me in a tight hug while talking a mile a minute. I saw Fred hand George five galleons while looking slightly depressed. Bill got up and clapped Charlie on the back. Harry stood up and shook Charlie's hand and then giving me a peck on the cheek. Molly was laughing and had happy tears running down her face as she hugged Arthur.

We all went through the typical 'I'm getting married' celebration. Molly even brought out a bottle of wine to go with the cake. I, of course, did not have any of the delicious alcohol. I ate my strawberry cake and sipped my grape juice like the responsible soon-to-be mother I am.

Ginny and Molly threw out wedding ideas all through dessert. Some were admittedly not that bad. Others, well, let's just say I said no to the ice sculpture Fred and George suggested.

Eventually, we moved to the sitting room when all the cake and pie was finished. I plopped down next to Charlie on our usual love seat. He slung an arm around my shoulders while resting his other hand on my bump. He rubbed soothing circles on my neck while The Clan shot ideas to us.

"When do you want the wedding to happen dear? Did you have a month or season in mind?" Molly asked.

"Uh, I was thinking maybe November. It's not too cold yet and not as humid."

Molly nodded in agreement. "November is a good month. You'll have a nice fall wedding. So next November it is."

I looked at her in confusion before I asked her what she meant. "What do you mean Molly? I had this November in mind."

Molly gave a quiet laugh. "I figured you'd want to wait until after the baby was born."

"Why would I want to wait until the baby was born?" I asked in genuine puzzlement.

Molly looked a bit flustered. "Well, it would look as if you're only getting married out of desperation. That it was a shot gun wedding or something."

"But it isn't. Charlie and I will be getting married because we love each other. I know it, he knows it, we all know it."

"Well yes, but what would the media think? Most of the wizarding world is still old fashioned. Children were never born out of wedlock when I was your age. And if one was, the woman was, well, a harlot." Molly said with a flush that started from neck and turned into a light pink by the time it reached her cheeks.

"That is so unfair. The male has just as much to do with pregnancy and the act of sex as the female does. Besides, this isn't the sixties anymore Molly. It shouldn't matter if a child isn't born inside a marriage. As long as that child is loved, nothing about the marital status of the parents is important." I defended.

Molly looked shocked and somewhat aghast. "Any good family with kids should have a mother and father that's married. Or married partners. And preferably, they should be married before the child is conceived."

I sat up straighter in anger. "It shouldn't matter if the parents are married or not. As long as they love each other and the child, nothing else matters. It shouldn't matter if the parents are dating, engaged, or married. All that matters is love."

Molly huffed and was about to retort but was interrupted by Charlie. He leaned forward and intertwined or fingers. He gave me a peck on the temple and turned back to his mum.

"Mum, you and Mione clearly have different views. But she is the bride. She's about to become my wife. If she wants to get married in November of this year, then we get married then. I know how you feel about this, but you aren't the one getting married." Charlie said calmly.

Molly was about to protest yet again, but Arthur grabbed her hand and gave her a look. She huffed instead but didn't say anything else. I glanced over at Charlie to convey a silent message. I wanted to leave before it got extra tense and awkward.

He nodded his head in understanding and got up. He offered me his hand to get up. I accepted gladly and was pulled to my feet. I rubbed my belly and turned to face The Clan.

"Alright, we're going to head on home. It's been a long night for all of us. Ginny, I know you want to plan out pretty much the entire wedding," Ginny snorted but didn't deny it. "So, why don't you come over Thursday? I have work till 5:30, but Mione has that day off." Ginny nodded after I shrugged my shoulders.

He looked to the twins. "You two savages will not pester my soon-to-be wife with anymore ridiculous wedding ideas. And seriously, how did you even think of the ice sculpture of our baby in her womb with us gazing down 'lovingly'?"

I was about to protest that I could threaten them myself, but the horrid reminder of the ice sculpture stopped me in my tracks. You don't understand. They drew pictures of what it would look like. I had to suppress throwing my fork at them when they said that. That drawing will haunt me for a long time.

We said the last bit of our good-byes before stepping into the fireplace. Charlie threw the powder down and we whirled away from the Burrow. We landed in our bedroom fireplace that we had charmed a few days ago.

I stepped out and made a beeline for the bathroom. I closed the door and urinated with a happy sigh. I wiped and flushed the sparkling toilet. I washed my hands and grabbed my toothbrush. I applied a generous amount of minty fresh toothpaste and stuck the brush in my mouth.

I opened the door and let Charlie do his business while I rummaged through the clothing drawers. I picked up a camisole and decided it probably wouldn't fit how I like. I sighed and tossed it back into the pile before moving to my shorts drawer. I paused in my brushing when I picked up a pair of volleyball shorts that would stretch to accommodate my swell.

I continued brushing as I walked over to Charlie's dresser. I pulled out the drawer that was labeled 'shirts.'" I pushed the clothes around until I found his old Gryffindor quidditch jersey. It had his last name on the back and the number nine below.

I tucked my clothes under my arm and walked to bathroom door. It opened just as I was about to knock. I gave a muffled laugh around my occupied mouth. I walked in and closed the door behind me. I walked to the sink and spit my toothpaste out. I rinsed it down the drain after I rinsed my mouth from the foamy mint. I wiped my mouth and reached for the mouthwash.

I swished around the gross liquid before spitting it into the sink. I cleaned up the sink a bit. I pulled my wand out and charmed my hair into a slightly less poufy state. I ran my hand through the now gentle waves. I put in a French braid that I would redo in the morning before work.

I finished and began to strip. I pulled off my flowing tank top and removed my jeans with a stretchy waist. I tossed them into the hamper and tossed my bra into it as well. I looked at myself in the mirror and a small frown worked its way onto my delicate features.

Over the nearly four months of pregnancy, my breasts, abdomen, feet, and knees have swelled. My face got a little rounder as well. Well, it would have regardless. Before, my cheeks still had a bit of a hollow look to them. You could no longer count the numbers of ribs I had. Sure, I was glad that I was eating healthier than before, but deep down, I felt a spark of annoyance that I looked chubbier. I never cared what people thought of me. I actually _liked_ my bushy hair and plain brown eyes. I liked my average breast size and moderate curves. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with my body now, just the small insecurities wormed their way into my brain. I blamed the media personally

I sighed and looked away. I slipped on my spandex shorts and picked up Charlie's old jersey. I slipped it on and it nearly fell to my mid thigh. It was big on me and felt comfortable. It smelled like Charlie; the scent of sandalwood and forest wafted up. It relaxed me and made me feel comfortable. It smelled like _home_. I don't know when Charlie's smell triggered my brain to think home, but it had. The best part was that I didn't mind.

I picked up my wand and charmed the contents in the hamper to the laundry room for washing after work tomorrow. I glanced at the mirror one last time and stopped in my tracks toward the door. I saw the still angry lines of 'mudblood' etched into my skin. The words were still cruel and made me angry whenever I heard a pureblood elitist mumble them on the streets of wizarding London. But it held a new anger. It made me angry they couldn't except that the light side won. They couldn't retrieve their head from its spot up their ass to realize that blood doesn't matter. But it also brought back other feelings. It brought back the _pain_ of torture in her hands. My nightmares still happened most nights. Good thing Charlie was such a heavy sleeper.

The scar brought me back to that night in Malfoy Manor. The feeling of pain as it coursed through me. The feeling of my lungs letting loose loud screams. But most importantly, _it brought back Bellatrix._ It brought back her crazy face hovering over me and casting the Cruciatus Curse. It brought back the even more painful feeling of being carved into with the lettering of the very thing I _am._

I looked into the mirror harder and I could have sworn I saw Bellatrix standing behind me with that crazy glint in her eyes as she laughed maniacally behind me. I whipped around and pointed my wand at the empty place where I thought she was.

I exhaled and quickly shut the lights off. I opened the door and walked into my room. I was glad Charlie had dimmed the lights down. I was positive that I looked deathly pale. I placed my wand on the nightstand and turned abruptly when I heard a quiet laugh from beside me.

"What?" I questioned him.

"Nothing. Just, I think you may have stolen something of mine."

I blushed and looked down. "I didn't feel like rummaging through my tops until I managed to find something that fit moderately well."

He chuckled and grabbed my arms to pull me down flush against his bare chest. I curled into him and intertwined our legs. My head was resting at the top of his pectoral and my swell was pressed into the left side of his own stomach. I slung one arm over his waist and closed my eyes. I felt him press a kiss to the crown of my head and rub slow circles into my back.

"You okay? You look a bit pale and you usually fight me for dominance when I pull you down." He said quietly.

My memories of Bellatrix came back and I tensed a bit. I relaxed when I felt him put a bit more pressure on my back. I sighed and decided I could tell him later about what was really bugging me.

"Yeah. I was just thinking about that small row Molly and me had." I said instead.

I felt him exhale and move his free hand to softly caress my bump. He stayed quiet for a few minutes. I thought he wasn't going to reply. When I felt his voice rumble from his chest I was a bit surprised.

"She's just from a different time. She just hasn't realized that things have changed since then. Changed for the better. I'll talk with her this week about it. Don't worry about."

I nodded and leant up to press a kiss to him. I put my head back down on his chest and closed my eyes."

"I love you Charlie."

"I love you too, Hermione."

My eyes slipped closed and my breathing began to even out. Charlie was warm and comfortable. I snuggled in closer before slipping into sleep.

 _I screamed as she cast the curse again. All I could feel was the pain shoot through me in waves. It felt as if someone had lit a fire inside of me and was waiting for me to succumb to my injuries. I felt like I was dying._

" _Where did you get that sword! It's meant to be in my vault at Gringotts!" Bellatrix screamed the last part at me._

" _I-I don't kn-" I cried out but was interrupted as she cast it again._

 _I screamed as agonizing pain shot through me again. I felt my limbs start to contort in odd angles as the spell was kept in place. I felt my back arch up and hot tears escaped the corner of my eyes as well._

 _Slowly, I could feel the spell being lifted. The pain didn't ebb away like the first time. It morphed into an even bigger pain. I felt emotionally numb. Every now and then sprigs of fear would course through me if she got closer though._

 _She leaned her cruel and cold face closer to mine. I could see her mangled and yellow teeth. She had a demented look in her eyes. I knew if I didn't come up with something she would kill me and then Harry and Ron._

" _Now tell me, where did you get that sword! I know it was in my vault at Gringotts. How did you get it!" She screamed in my face._

" _I didn't!" I sobbed out. "I don't know what you're talking about!"_

 _She growled and put her wand away. I knew this couldn't be good. She left me and walked over to the ginormous fireplace. She reached up and plucked an elegantly carved knife down. She twirled it in her fingers before circling around me like prey. She closed in on me and knelt beside me. She looked at me with mock sympathy._

" _Now, mudblood, you will tell me how you got my sword. Or, I'll be forced to do something we both don't want to happen." She said the last part with a fake sweetness that made me shiver._

" _I don't know how we got that sword." I whispered as tears continued to trail down my cheeks._

 _She got an angry look on her face before she stopped spinning the knife. She gave me an evil smile before she bent down even more and gripped my arm where it was. She brought the knife down and pressed into my skin sharply._

 _I let out a scream as blinding pain shot through me. It hurt even more than the fucking Cruciatus Curse. All I could see was the ceiling and small black dots beginning to form. I felt my ears begin to ring with white noise. That goddamn knife was dark magic._

 _My head lolled to the side somewhere through all the screaming. I may have blacked out at one point. Time seemed to slow down and speed up all at the same time. It all meshed together into one continuum that I couldn't understand._

 _Somewhere through all of this, I managed to get a good look around the room. I could see the snatchers who caught us. I could see Peter Pettigrew and his new hand. I could see Lucius looking at me with disgust written on his face. I could see Narcissa looking anywhere but me. She had a distant look on her beautiful face. My eyes settled on the youngest Malfoy. He was staring at me with an unreadable face. His eyes held something akin to disgust as well though._

 _I felt Bellatrix let go of my wrist and point her wand at me again. She had an evil glint in her eyes and a somewhat proud one too. My eyes lazily turned downward and my breath caught in my throat when I saw it. The very words that had been used to taunt me all through school. The same words that_ defined _me to these disgusting purebloods. The word that caused some to look down on me like, well, like_ mud. _There, carved into my forearm in messy letters was the word I despised the most. 'Mudblood' looked up at me mockingly._

" _So tell me,_ Hermione _, where did you get my sword! No one but me can enter my vault!" She screeched._

 _I didn't answer immediately because I saw her raise her wand again. I couldn't go another round of that. I didn't have it in me to fight it anymore. I didn't have anything else to hold on to. I knew that the next curse she hurled at me would most likely be my last. So, I did the only thing that came to mind. I lied._

" _It's fake! It isn't real!" I sobbed out._

 _She smiled wickedly. "I don't believe you_ Hermione. _" She said my name loudly yet it seemed far away._

 _She leaned closer and pointer her wand at my throat. The next thing she did surprised me. She began to shake my shoulders while screaming my name. It all sounded distant and far away. It was odd. It didn't feel painful. It felt frantic. I looked up and saw the corners of my vision begin to turn black and soon, everything was black with tints of light coming through the windows._

I looked frantically around the room and saw wisps of a shadow above. I immediately thought that it was Bellatrix and began to wiggle beneath the dark shadow. I tried to reach for my wand when I felt someone bring me into a hug. I tensed until full realization hit me; I was in my bedroom with my fiancé cradling me in his arms.

My eyes felt swollen and sore from I could assume was crying. My arms felt achy from where Charlie had been holding me down. I relaxed into his strong hold and let the tardy tears fall from my eyes and onto Charlie's firm chest.

We stayed there for what could have easily been minutes or hours. Slowly, I extracted myself from him and sat up. I leaned my frame against the headboard and felt Charlie do the same after turning on the light. I felt him wrap an arm around my shoulder and draw my body closer to his. He kissed my temple while rubbing small circles on my arm.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"No? Yes? I don't know." I sighed.

"It's fine. You need time. I won't push."

I silently thanked the stars for giving me such a wonderful fiancé. I rested my head on his chest and waited for my breathing to even out. I got flash backs from both my dream and the actual torture. I could almost still feel the pain from the curse and the knife. I knew I wouldn't be getting anymore sleep tonight. Or, this morning.

I looked up at Charlie and wondered how our lives would have played out had Bellatrix actually killed me. I frowned at that thought. Somehow, Charlie made me feel safe and loved. But in a different way from Harry, Ron, and even Molly. He made the butterflies appear. He made the 'domestic life' seem appealing. He made me want a wedding and pretty dress. He made me want a future beyond becoming the most successful Healer. I found myself wanting _more_ each day. Each adventure we have is better than the last.

I looked back down before sucking in a breath and preparing to let him in on my dark memory. "We were kidnaped while we were running." I started. "Snatchers found us when Harry said Voldemort's name in the woods. They had put a spell on his name. We were the only one's who would ever say it.

"Anyways, they took us to Malfoy Manor to be further interrogated. We got there and they tried to identify Harry as 'The Harry Potter.' I had cast a stinging charm on his face before they actually caught us. Malfoy didn't identify him and Bellatrix got going. Blamed me for casting the charm on him. That's when she saw the sword.

"She told the snatchers to put Harry and Ron in the dungeon so she could torture me first. I was a mudblood and she hated me the most because of my blood status. She asked me once where we got the sword before casting the Cruciatus Curse."

I felt Charlie tense beneath me. "I still refused to answer any of her questions and she kept using the curse. Eventually, she gave up on that and moved on to something that was physically scarring instead." I said as I showed him my scar. I'm sure he had seen it before, but he never asked.

"She carved it into me and used a knife laced with dark magic. Madam Pompfrey said it would never go away. I could charm it and conceal it, but I can never magically get it removed." I finished off.

Charlie looked down at me with understanding and sadness. He didn't pity me or feel the need to be sorry for me. And for that, I was really thankful. I hated when people showed me pity for it. Pity didn't remove one of the worst days of her life, and it made me feel weak.

Charlie picked up my forearm with the mudblood scar on it and gave it a chaste kiss. "I couldn't care less if you were a muggle, muggle-born, halfblood, or pureblood. And this scar? This scar gives you a history and a story that is unique to you. I love that." He whispered the last part.

I smiled and could feel happiness swirl through my body. I hugged him even harder and snuggled down. We laid there chatting about nothing in particular as the sun slowly rose above the sky. Sometime around ten, my alarm went off and we went downstairs to make breakfast and start the day. I felt marginally better by the time my shift rolled around.

* * *

 **Thursday. 15 Weeks. Apple.**

I returned to the couch with the bowl of chips. I placed it in front of Ginny who was sprawled out on my comfy couch with a look of concentration on her face. She had been here for three hours already. She had brought two big binders with her and a bottle of wind for just herself. It was gone within forty-five minutes. She had been shooting wedding ideas at me with a seriousness that I hadn't expected from her. I had to change the subject. I just had to.

"So, how are you and Malfoy?" I asked. I internally cringed at my blunt question.

She raised a perfectly sculpted brow at me. But she soon broke in a genuine smile that was contagious. I gave a smile back and she leaned against the arm of my leather masterpiece.

"He took me out on Sunday. We went on this picnic and spent hours just sitting and talking. He took me to a cute little muggle diner in London for dinner. We went back to his apartment and watched some movie about an American ship that hit an iceberg and sunk. I had such a good time." She stated somewhat out of breath and a new flicker of light in her amber eyes.

"That's great Gin. Think you'll bring him to the wedding?" I teased.

She turned red and huffed out a laugh. "We've only had like, three dates Mione. Besides, I don't think he would make it past the gates before Ron either cursed him or straight up punched him."

I snorted in agreement and looked through a binder of hers. I was happy for her. She deserved happiness. We all did. After every we had been through, we deserved any slice of happiness that was shoved our way. And grudgingly, I had to admit that Malfoy made Gin happy. He didn't seem as bad as he was before. But all I could remember was the disgusted look in his eyes as Bellatrix carved the very name he called me into my arm.

I shook my head from the morbid thoughts as I heard the fireplace roar up. I turned and saw Charlie walk out and brush the soot off. He walked gingerly to the couch and gave me a quick peck before turning and greeting his sister. He walked to the kitchen with a slight limp and I frowned in his direction.

"Charlie? What happened to your leg?"

"Uh, one of the dragons was in a mood today. I jumped to avoid a ball of flame and landed on my leg funny."

I rolled my eyes and beckoned for him to come sit on the couch. He sighed but complied anyways. I had him stretch out and I took my wand out of my pocket. I aimed it at his troubled leg and muttered a spell. I told him to bend it and he did with ease. He gave me a goofy smile and stood up again.

"Alright ladies. It's time for dinner. I was thinking some pork chops and mashed potatoes."

We agreed and decided to help him cook. Ginny pulled my to my feet with her Quidditch toned arms. She laughed and gave my stomach a pat before running up behind her brother and poking him in the sides.

He turned around and gave her a smirk before picking her up and throwing her onto his shoulder. She squealed and he spun her around in the spacious kitchen. I smiled and watched on with a genuine happiness spreading through me again. I hoped one day that my kids would be able to be that close. As a matter of fact, I would be happy with even half the sibling love between them as the Weasley Clan offered each other.

* * *

 **Authors Note- I know I've not updated in forever. I am so sorry. I have not abandoned this story. Not in the slightest. So send me reviews on names and don't forget to read and review my other fic, A New Family. Thanks! Love you all dearly.**


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